Channel Islands: Island Bush-Mallow

“Endangered” may sometimes seem like a vague term, but it is an unfortunately suited description for the Island Bush-Mallow (Malacothamnus fasciculatus var. nesioticus). This endangered flower is now only known from four locations in the world, all on Santa Cruz Island, part of the remote and hauntingly gorgeous Channel Islands National Park off the coast of Los Angeles. USGS scientists are helping the National Park Service monitor and jump-start the recovery of this and other native plant species, and restore the balance of these island ecosystems after decades of human use.