Astragalus nuttallii var. virgatus

Nuttall's milkvetch

Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Nuttall's milkvetch is a California native perennial found in the central and northern California Coast Ranges in sandy coastal bluffs at elevations below 150 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces white to cream-colored flowers in small clusters. Growing with ascending or prostrate stems that spread across coastal terrain, it forms low-growing mats in sandy environments. Its pinnately compound leaves have multiple small leaflets arranged along delicate green stems. The fruit is glabrous or sparsely hairy, containing 14 to 21 ovules.

Habitat: Sandy soil, bluffs

Bloom period: Apr-Jul(all year)

Elevation: < 150 m

Bioregions: c&amps NCo, n CCo.

California counties: Mendocino, San Francisco, Alameda, San Mateo, Humboldt, Marin, Santa Barbara

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