Angelica breweri
Brewer's angelica
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda · licence
Family: Apiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Angelica breweri (Brewer's angelica) is a native California herb in the Apiaceae family, recognized by hairy inflorescence and high elevation.
Brewer's angelica is a California native perennial found in northern and central Sierra Nevada Mountains in conifer forest at elevations of 800 to 3,000 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces white flowers in compound umbels with 20 to 50 rays spanning 2 to 10 centimeters. Growing one to two meters tall with generally hairy stems, it develops a robust, expansive structure. Its large leaves are triangular-ovate, two to three times pinnately divided, with leaflets 6 to 10 centimeters long, lanceolate, and sharply serrated. The fruit is oblong to ovate, measuring 8 to 12 millimeters in length.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 3 sympatric species; key feature is hairy inflorescence and high elevation
Habitat and range
Habitat: Conifer forest
Elevation: 800-3000 m
California counties: Plumas, Mariposa, El Dorado, Butte, Alpine, Amador, Nevada, Lassen, Placer, Sierra, Tuolumne, Shasta, Fresno, Tehama, Yuba, Calaveras, Mono, Siskiyou, Trinity, Tulare
Outside California: Nevada
Bloom period
Angelica breweri blooms Jun-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Heracleum: Angelica has uniform petals across the flower cluster; Heracleum has dramatically enlarged outer petals.; vs Oenanthe: Angelica has coarse leaf segments; Oenanthe has finely divided, almost feathery leaflets.; vs Cicuta: Angelica has a smooth stem base; Cicuta stem base has chambered cross-sections visible when cut.; vs Sambucus: Angelica has umbrella-shaped flower clusters and divided leaves; Sambucus has flat-topped clusters and opposite leaves.; vs Ligusticum: Angelica has a smooth stem base; Ligusticum stem base is wrapped in fibrous leaf remains.
Frequently asked questions
Is Angelica breweri native to California?
Yes. Angelica breweri is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Angelica breweri bloom?
Angelica breweri blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Angelica breweri grow?
Angelica breweri occurs in Plumas, Mariposa, El Dorado, Butte, Alpine, Amador, Nevada, Lassen and other counties, at elevations of 800-3000 m.
What plant family does Angelica breweri belong to?
Angelica breweri is in the Apiaceae family, genus Angelica.
What habitat does Angelica breweri grow in?
Angelica breweri grows in Conifer forest.
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.