Bloomipedia
Chuparosa (Justicia californica)
Photo: Dan Vickers via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Chuparosa

Justicia californica

Native to Arizona

Chuparosa is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Arizona it's most often seen in bloom in January–December.

2states
1,793AZ sightings*
7,713U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Arizona

Quick look

Justicia californica is a deciduous species of flowering shrub native to the deserts of southern California, southern Arizona, and northern Mexico. Its common names include beloperone, chuparosa and hummingbird bush.

  • It belongs to the Acanthaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 2 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Arizona. NatureServe
  • In Arizona, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in January–December. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,793 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #52 among the 109 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist

Chuparosa gift ideas

Handmade chuparosa gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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    Chuparosa art print

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When does it bloom?

In Arizona, most flowering sightings come in January–December.

Flowering records by month in Arizona (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (288 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
Arizona
Not listed Not on Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arizona. AAC R3-3 App. A
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records chuparosa in 2 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, California.

Arizona counties with USDA records: La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, Pinal, Yuma.

More Arizona flowers

Thurber's desert honeysuckle (Anisacanthus thurberi)

Thurber's desert honeysuckle

Anisacanthus thurberi

Native

🌼 Blooms in AZ: March–November
Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea)

Saguaro

Carnegiea gigantea

★ AZ state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in AZ: April–June
Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata)

Creosote bush

Larrea tridentata

Native

🌼 Blooms in AZ: January–December

Sources