Jimi Hendrix lends his name to new plant species

A picture of Jimi Hendrix — Jimi Hendrix (Image credit: Getty)

Scientists in the US have named a newly-discovered plant after the late Jimi Hendrix.

Researchers, including San Diego State University plant biologist Michael Simpson, who identified a new and rare species of succulent have called it Dudleya hendrixii, or Hendrix’s liveforever.

The plant is found only in a small area of Baja California, Mexico., according to San Diego State University.

Dudleya hendrixii is described as a thin, stalky plant less than a foot tall with succulent leaves and brilliant pinkish white flowers. It dies in the summer and then re-sprouts again in the fall.

Stephen McCabe of the University Of California decided to name the plant after Hendrix as colleague Mark Dodero was listening to Hendrix’s Voodoo Child at the very moment discovered the plant.

Despite only just being discovered, the plant is already at risk of being wiped out due to grazing, farming, off-road vehicle traffic and housing development.

Simpson says: “It’s the Mexican equivalent of an endangered species, although they don’t use the same criteria we do in the United States.”

Jimi Hendrix was the subject of a recent Classic Rock feature, in which Jeff Beck, Mick Fleetwood, Ronnie Wood and Marianne Faithful recalled meeting him for the first time.

Dudleya hendrixii (Image credit: Stephen McCabe)

Rock Icons: Jimi Hendrix by William DuVall

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.