Flowering and seed set continue until the plants die, which may occur as late as May in years of favorable rainfall and temperatures. The flowers are pollinated by insects. California jewelflower probably forms a persistent seed bank. California jewelflower is found in several plant communities, including Non-native grassland, Upper Sonoran Subshrub Scrub, and Cismontane Juniper Woodland and Scrub. Historical records indicate that this species also occurred in the Valley Saltbush Scrub community in the past.
Herbaceous cover is dense at most California jewelflower sites.
Primary soil types at known sites are subalkaline, sandy loams. This species is endemic to California. The historical range of California jewelflower is based on specimens collected between 1880 and 1973. Nearly half of the collection sites were on the floor of the San Joaquin Valley in Fresno, Kern, and Tulare counties. Three collections were from the Sierra Nevada foothills at the eastern margin of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County.