Astragalus nuttallianus var. cedrosensis

Cedros milkvetch

Family: Fabaceae · Type: annual · Native

Cedros milkvetch is a California native annual found in the southern desert region on rocky flats and washes at elevations below 1,400 meters. Flowering from December to April, this plant produces delicate white to pale pink flowers with distinctive calyx tubes. Growing with slender stems to 30 centimeters tall, it spreads in low, open formations across desert landscapes. Its compound leaves feature lower leaflets with notched tips and upper leaflets with sharp points, creating a subtle textural variation. The small flowers have short ascending hairs on narrow calyx tubes, giving the plant a fine, intricate appearance characteristic of desert milkvetches.

Habitat: Rocky flats, washes

Bloom period: Dec-Apr

Elevation: < 1400 m

Bioregions: DSon

California counties: Imperial, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego

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