Lewisia 'Rainbow Mix' (Lewisia)

Cliff Maids / Siskiyou Lewisia (Lewisia cotyledon) is a jewel of the Siskiyou-Klamath bioregion. A PNW endemic perennial native to the rocky subalpine slopes of southern Oregon and northern California. Fleshy evergreen rosettes of succulent green leaves hug the rock, and in late spring through early summer tall stems rise up carrying clusters of starry flowers in a candy-shop range of colors: pale pink with darker veining, creamy white with pinkish-orange stripes, solid coral, orange, yellow, or rose. Six to ten inches tall in bloom.

The bright flowers attract butterflies, bees, and native bees, and the tubular throats bring in hummingbirds for nectar (Calscape).

Deer-resistant. Sharp drainage is essential. This plant evolved on rocky cliffs and will rot in soggy clay. Plant in gritty soil, on a slope, in a crevice garden, tucked into a stone wall, or in a container. Full sun in cool-summer gardens; afternoon shade in hot-summer ones. Tuck a flat stone under the rosette to deflect water away from the crown.

Coastal-friendly in free-draining sites. Handles wind and sandy soil, just keep water off the crown in wet winters.

Pairs with Sedum spathulifolium, Sedum oreganum, Eriogonum umbellatum, Penstemon rupicola, and other PNW rock-garden natives for a regionally authentic crevice or trough planting.