Angelica capitellata
Ranger's buttons, swamp white heads, Swamp White Heads
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Apiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Angelica capitellata (Ranger's buttons) is a native California herb in the Apiaceae family, recognized by easily distinguished by spherical flower heads and tuberous root.
Ranger's buttons is a California native perennial found in northern coastal ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, and Great Basin in wet meadows, streamsides, and lakeshores at elevations to 3,500 meters. Flowering from July to August, this plant produces white to purple flowers in dense, spherical umbels with linear bristle-like bractlets. Growing 50 to 180 centimeters tall with a tuberous root and somewhat rough stems, it forms a distinctive upright plant with complex foliage. Its large leaves are 1 to 4 decimeters long, featuring 1 to 2 pinnate divisions with 1 to 12 centimeter leaflets that are generally lance-shaped and sparsely toothed or irregularly lobed. The fruit is a wedge-shaped, tomentose structure 5 to 8 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; easily distinguished by spherical flower heads and tuberous root
Habitat and range
Habitat: Wet meadows, streamsides, lakeshores; generally higher elevations
Elevation: < 3500 m
Outside California: to Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Baja California
Bloom period
Angelica capitellata blooms Jul-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 capitellata native to California?
Yes. Angelica capitellata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Angelica capitellata bloom?
Angelica capitellata blooms Jul-Aug.
What plant family does Angelica capitellata belong to?
Angelica capitellata is in the Apiaceae family, genus Angelica.
What habitat does Angelica capitellata grow in?
Angelica capitellata grows in Wet meadows, streamsides, lakeshores; generally higher elevations.
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.