Navarretia squarrosa aka California Stinkweed

Navarretia squarrosa is an annual in the Polemoniaceae family. Its common names include skunkweed and skunkbush. It comes from western Canada and the western United States. Its range includes southwest British Columbia, western Washington, and western Oregon. Plants For A Future also lists northern California. Kew places it within the temperate climate zone. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. As an annual, it completes its life cycle within one year.

The plant grows to about 1 foot [0.3 metres] tall. The supplied records give no separate figure for its spread. In California, it grows on dry flats and in fields. These sites occur within mixed woods below 2,625 feet [800 metres]. Plants For A Future records flowering in August. It gives September as the time when seeds ripen. Each flower has both male and female organs. The evidence does not describe flower colour, leaves, or stems.

For garden beds, choose a site with plenty of sun. Plants For A Future recommends very free drainage and fertile soil. Its growing advice favours sandy or loamy ground. Its broader soil listing also includes clay. The plant accepts dry or moist soil conditions. It can grow in mildly acid, neutral, or mildly alkaline soil. Although its profile lists light shade as possible, its cultivation advice calls for full sun. The source lists USDA hardiness zones 6–9. It also gives UK zone 7, without an RHS hardiness grade. Sow seed directly where plants will grow in early spring.

The seeds have a recorded food use, though their size limits their value. They can be parched, ground into flour, and eaten dry. Their small size makes them awkward to collect and prepare. Plants For A Future gives the species a low edible-use rating. It reports no known hazards, but this does not establish safety for pets. The same source lists no known medicinal uses. It also describes the plant as a dynamic accumulator. That label refers to its capacity to gather nutrients. The evidence gives no details on which nutrients it gathers. Plants For A Future does not flag weed potential. The supplied sources give no specific pest or disease information.