Astragalus coccineus

Scarlet milkvetch, Scarlet Milkvetch

Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Scarlet milkvetch is a California native perennial found in the southern Mojave Desert, Peninsular Ranges, Sierra Nevada eastern edges, and desert mountains in gravelly sagebrush scrub and pinyon woodlands at elevations of 650 to 2,450 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces striking scarlet flowers with banner petals 35 to 41 millimeters long that recurve at a 20 to 30 degree angle. Growing in dense tufted clusters with nearly stemless form, it features compact stems covered in dense white hairs. Its compound leaves are 3 to 10 centimeters long, composed of 7 to 15 oblanceolate leaflets 3 to 14 millimeters long with slightly acute tips. The fruit is a plump, white or tawny hairy pod 25 to 40 millimeters long, often slightly curved and compressed.

Habitat: Gravelly places, generally sagebrush scrub, pinyon woodland

Bloom period: Mar-Jun

Elevation: 650-2450 m

Bioregions: SnBr, PR, SNE, DMoj

California counties: San Bernardino, San Diego, Inyo, Ventura, Los Angeles, Riverside, Imperial, Mono

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.