Desert Bloom Series - Chuparosa - Justicia Californica Stock Image

Red flowering shrub Chuparosa, Justicia Californica, at Anza Borrego Desert State Park in Borrego Springs California. Justicia californica is a species of flowering shrub native to the deserts of southern California, Arizona, and northern Mexico. Its common names include chuparosa, hummingbird bush, and beloperone. It is one of the northernmost distributed species of the mostly tropical genus Justicia. This is a low bush which grows in dry, hot regions in the sand or rocky terrain of the desert floor. For a short time it bears succulent leaves. It loses its leaves and then produces plentiful tubular flowers, usually in shades of bright to deep red, or sometimes yellow. Each long flower has a wide lower lip that falls open to reveal the inside of the blossom. Hummingbirds visit the bush to feed on the nectar the common name chuparosa is Spanish for hummingbird. Other birds eat the sugar-rich flower centers. This plant is sometimes cultivated as a landscape ornamental in desert regions for its bright flowers and to attract birds. HTBphotos by John and Katharina Notarianni for websites, print and other published media.