Red Maids
Calandrinia ciliataHeight: Usually 4 to 12 inches tall
Habitat: Sandy or loamy soils in open fields, desert flats, foothills, and disturbed areas
Elevation: Found from near sea level up to about 5,000 feet
Range: Western United States, especially California, Arizona, and surrounding desert and chaparral regions
Description:
Red Maids is a small, spring-blooming annual with fleshy, spoon-shaped leaves and eye-catching magenta to deep pink flowers. The flowers open wide under sunlight and close at night or in cloudy weather. Though short-lived, the plant often grows in colorful patches, especially after good winter rains.
Uses:
Traditional: Seeds were gathered by Indigenous groups and ground into meal or flour—considered a nutritious food source.
Ecological: Supports early-season pollinators and thrives in disturbed soils.
Note:
Red Maids are simple but beautiful, adding a bold splash of color to meadows and desert flats. Their edible seeds and early bloom time made them an important part of seasonal cycles for both people and wildlife.
Rose red and round-tipped petals, many stamens. Plant is spreading up to 16" in height.
