Astragalus breweri
Brewer's milkvetch, Brewer's milk-vetch, Brewer's milk-vetch
(c) Don Loarie, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.2
Astragalus breweri (Brewer's milkvetch) is a native California herb in the Fabaceae family, recognized by annual with yellow flowers and spine-like beaked pods.
Brewer's milkvetch is a California native annual found in central and northern Coast Ranges, northern San Francisco Bay Area on open slopes and grassy areas at elevations below 950 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces pale yellow to white flowers with lavender streaks, arranged in small clusters of 4 to 10 blossoms. Growing with slender stems 4 to 30 centimeters tall and sparsely covered with fine hairs, it has an delicate, open structure. Its leaves are compound with 7 to 13 leaflets, each 3 to 12 millimeters long, ranging from narrow to wide and slightly obovate with gently notched tips. The fruit develops as an ascending, ovate pod 5 to 10 millimeters long with a spine-like or hooked beak.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; annual with yellow flowers and spine-like beaked pods
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open slopes, grassy areas, on serpentine or not
Elevation: < 950 m
California counties: Mendocino, Lake, Sonoma, Marin, Napa, Colusa
Bloom period
Astragalus breweri blooms Mar-Jun.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.2
How to tell it apart
vs Vicia: Astragalus has racemes of flowers; vetches (Vicia) have tendrils at leaf tips and climbing or sprawling habit.; vs Oxytropis: Astragalus keel tip is rounded to slightly pointed; Oxytropis keel has a pronounced pointed beak.; vs Cleomella: Astragalus has pea-shaped flowers; Cleomella has 4-petaled cruciform flowers with long stamens.; vs Lupinus: Astragalus has pinnate compound leaves; lupines have palmate leaves (leaflets radiating from one point).; vs Dalea: Astragalus has typical pea flowers; Dalea has tiny flowers with petals attached to the stamen tube.
Frequently asked questions
Is Astragalus breweri native to California?
Yes. Astragalus breweri is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Astragalus breweri bloom?
Astragalus breweri blooms Mar-Jun.
Where in California does Astragalus breweri grow?
Astragalus breweri occurs in Mendocino, Lake, Sonoma, Marin, Napa, Colusa, at elevations of < 950 m.
What plant family does Astragalus breweri belong to?
Astragalus breweri is in the Fabaceae family, genus Astragalus.
Is Astragalus breweri rare or endangered?
Astragalus breweri carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.2, state rank S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.