Bensoniella oregona
Bensoniella
Russ Holmes (via Wikimedia Commons) · CC0
Family: Saxifragaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1
Bensoniella oregona (Bensoniella) is a native California herb in the Saxifragaceae family, recognized by Only Bensoniella species in California, rare endemic with unique bilateral flowers and premature capsule dehiscence.
Bensoniella is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native perennial found in northern Coast Ranges of California, specifically Humboldt County and potentially the Klamath Ranges, inhabiting wet meadows and bogs at elevations above 750 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces distinctive white to reddish flowers with narrow, recurved petals and glandular spike-like racemes. Growing 20 to 40 centimeters tall with a scaly rhizome and erect stems, it develops dense clusters of long brown hairs. Its basal leaves are round-ovate, 4 to 20 centimeters long, with a heart-shaped base and uneven scalloped edges, appearing nearly smooth on top with hairy veins underneath. The fruit develops as a unique splash cup-forming capsule that opens before seeds mature, containing red-brown to black seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Only Bensoniella species in California, rare endemic with unique bilateral flowers and premature capsule dehiscence
Habitat and range
Habitat: Wet meadows, bogs
Elevation: > 750 m
California counties: Humboldt
Outside California: southwestern Oregon
Bloom period
Bensoniella oregona blooms May-Jun.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.1
How to tell it apart
vs Heuchera: Bensoniella has 2 recurved petals; Heuchera has 5 smooth petals or none; vs Micranthes: Bensoniella has 2 recurved petals; Micranthes has 5 erect petals; vs Tolmiea: Bensoniella has 2 petals and 5 stamens; Tolmiea has 4 petals and 3 stamens; vs Eschscholzia: Bensoniella has 2 narrow recurved petals; Eschscholzia has 4 showy orange cup-shaped petals; vs Reseda: Bensoniella has 2 recurved petals in a spike; Reseda has 4-7 deeply cut petals in dense spikes
Frequently asked questions
Is Bensoniella oregona native to California?
Yes. Bensoniella oregona is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Bensoniella oregona bloom?
Bensoniella oregona blooms May-Jun.
Where in California does Bensoniella oregona grow?
Bensoniella oregona occurs in Humboldt, at elevations of > 750 m.
What plant family does Bensoniella oregona belong to?
Bensoniella oregona is in the Saxifragaceae family, genus Bensoniella.
Is Bensoniella oregona rare or endangered?
Bensoniella oregona carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.1, state rank S2.
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.