

Wingnut Cryptantha (var. pterocarya) Cryptantha pterocarya var. pterocarya variety
Wingnut Cryptantha (var. pterocarya) is an annual wildflower native to the lower 48 states. A host for pollen-specialist native bees.
More about this plant
Cryptantha pterocarya is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common name wingnut cryptantha. It is native to the western United States where it grows in many types of habitat. It is an annual herb producing a stem with a few branches that reaches up to about 40 centimeters in maximum height. The leaves are linear to oblong in shape and up to 5 centimeters long. The plant herbage is very hairy to bristly, generally rough in texture. The inflorescence is a length of developing fruits tipped with one or more open flowers. The flower has a white five-lobed corolla. The fruit is a nutlet which is often, but not always, winged. Wikipedia →
Growing & care
USDA PLANTS · TRY- Hardiness
- ≥ zone 7 derived from its U.S. range
- Lifespan
- Annual
Wildlife & pollinators
How pollinator value is scored →❧ Caterpillar hosts Documented caterpillar host
Recorded feeding on Cryptantha in North America, including:
✦ Bees specialist-bee host
Specialist native bees depend on it.
Some native bees are pollen specialists (oligolectic) — they raise young only on pollen from particular plant genera. Cryptantha is a recorded specialist-bee host, so losing it can mean losing the bee that relies on it.
Sources for this entry (11) Open & cited
Cite this page Open data, please attribute
PlantKey’s data is open under CC BY-SA 4.0 — free to reuse and adapt, with attribution and the same licence. Photos keep their own per-image licence + credit (see Sources above).
Loading…
BibTeX
Loading…