Acmispon glaber
Deerweed, california broom, California Broom
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Acmispon glaber (Deerweed) is a native California subshrub in the Fabaceae family, recognized by widespread woody shrub with yellow flowers.
Deerweed is a California native shrub found throughout coastal and interior regions in chaparral, grassland, and woodland habitats at elevations from sea level to 1,500 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces bright yellow flowers in small clusters with 2 to 7 blossoms. Growing with ascending to erect stems 50 to 200 centimeters tall, it forms a bushy, somewhat woody structure with green branches that become increasingly branched. Its leaves are pinnate with 3 to 6 small elliptic leaflets, typically green and spaced along the stem, often deciduous during dry periods. The fruit is an oblong, curved pod 10 to 15 millimeters long that extends beyond the flower cluster.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 35 sympatric species; widespread woody shrub with yellow flowers
Habitat and range
California counties: Mendocino, Santa Barbara, San Diego, San Bernardino, San Mateo, Monterey, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sutter, Butte, Amador, Ventura, Solano, Contra Costa, Riverside, Napa, Alameda, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Kern, Tulare, El Dorado, Sonoma, Orange, Santa Clara, Mariposa, Yolo, Marin, Sacramento, Colusa, Lake
How to tell it apart
vs Lotus: Same genus - Lotus is an older name for Acmispon, now considered synonymous.; vs Ottleya: Acmispon has yellow pea-shaped flowers in umbels; Ottleya (a buckwheat relative) has tiny white/pink flowers without pea shape.; vs Eriogonum: Acmispon has compound leaves with 3 leaflets; buckwheats (Eriogonum) have simple leaves.; vs Genista: Acmispon leaves are compound with 3 leaflets; Genista (broom) has simple or very small trifoliate leaves on ridged green stems.; vs Hosackia: Acmispon has tiny gland-like stipules; Hosackia has conspicuous papery or leaf-like stipules at leaf bases.
Frequently asked questions
Is Acmispon glaber native to California?
Yes. Acmispon glaber is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Acmispon glaber grow?
Acmispon glaber occurs in Mendocino, Santa Barbara, San Diego, San Bernardino, San Mateo, Monterey, Los Angeles, San Francisco and other counties.
What plant family does Acmispon glaber belong to?
Acmispon glaber is in the Fabaceae family, genus Acmispon.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.