Flower profile

Desert lavender

Condea emoryi

Desert lavender (Condea emoryi) is a flowering plant in the Lamiaceae family, blooming mostly January–December across the U.S.

Native to Arizona

Desert lavender is a flowering plant. In Arizona it's most often seen in bloom in January–April.

–states where USDA records it

1,626AZ sightings*

8,346U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Arizona

Quick look

Condea emoryi, the desert lavender, is a large, multi-stemmed shrub species of flowering plant in Lamiaceae, the mint family.
From Wikipedia's article Condea emoryi, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Lamiaceae family. ^iNaturalist
NatureServe lists it as native to Arizona. ^NatureServe
In Arizona, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in January–April. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,626 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #54 among the 132 flowers on our Arizona list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

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

Flowering records by month in Arizona (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (228 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: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: NV (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

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)) 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 has no state-by-state distribution for this name, so we can't map it yet.

Names, range and relatives

More from the Lamiaceae family (44 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common selfheal, Ground-ivy, Red deadnettle, American beautyberry, Henbit deadnettle, Wild bergamot, Lyreleaf sage, American germander.

More Arizona flowers

Chia

Salvia columbariae

Native

🌼 Blooms in AZ: March–April

White horehound

Marrubium vulgare

Introduced

🌼 Few flowering records in AZ

Bluebeard

Caryopteris × clandonensis

🌷 Flowering shrub

🌷 Grown in Arizona gardens

Sources

USDA PLANTS: no profile matched this name.
iNaturalist, Condea emoryi: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Condea emoryi (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Arizona: Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025).
Arizona: Arizona prohibited noxious weeds (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-4-245).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Condea emoryi (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Bob Miller via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.