Astragalus trichopodus var. trichopodus

Santa barbara milkvetch

Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Santa barbara milkvetch is a California native perennial found in southern California coastal areas including southern coastal and northern peninsular regions in coastal bluffs and low grassy hills at elevations below 350 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces small whitish to pale purple flowers in clusters of 10 to 50 blooms. Growing with slender stems up to 30 to 45 centimeters tall, it forms delicate spreading clumps. Its leaves are composed of multiple small leaflets, creating a soft, feathery appearance. The distinctive fruit is a bladdery pod 13 to 35 millimeters long with slightly convex sides, typically appearing glabrous or smooth.

Habitat: Coastal bluffs, low grassy hills

Bloom period: Mar-Jun

Elevation: < 350 m

Bioregions: SCo, n PR.

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