Boechera arcuata
Arching rockcress
(c) Nina House, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Nina House · licence
Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Boechera arcuata (Arching rockcress) is a native California perennial in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by distinctive arching fruit stalks and one-sided infructescence.
Arching rockcress is a California native perennial found in southern Sierra Nevada foothills, southern Coast Ranges, southern California Coast, and Transverse Ranges in rocky hillsides, cliffs, pine forests, and chaparral at elevations of 300 to 2,000 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces purple flowers 9 to 14 millimeters long with petals 2 to 4 millimeters wide. Growing with slender stems 30 to 80 centimeters tall emerging from a slightly woody base, it develops from a basal rosette with simple, short-stalked branching hairs. Its basal leaves are 2 to 12 millimeters wide, generally entire, with short-stalked 2 to 5-rayed hairs, while cauline leaves feature small basal lobes 2 to 6 millimeters long. The fruit develops as a spreading, arching silique 6 to 13 centimeters long and 1.5 to 2.2 millimeters wide, often glabrous or with few hairs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 14 sympatric species; distinctive arching fruit stalks and one-sided infructescence
Habitat and range
Habitat: Rocky hillsides, cliffs, in pine forest, chaparral
Elevation: 300-2000 m
California counties: Los Angeles, Fresno, Kern, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Mariposa, San Bernardino, Tulare, Calaveras, Plumas, Butte, Nevada, Tuolumne, Mono, El Dorado, Madera, Sutter, San Diego, Siskiyou, Sacramento, Inyo, Sierra, Placer, Shasta, Stanislaus, Riverside, San Luis Obispo, Glenn, Santa Clara, Napa
Bloom period
Boechera arcuata blooms Mar-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Arabis: Boechera pods hang downward or curve and are wider (2mm+); Arabis pods stand rigidly erect and are narrower.; vs Matthiola: Boechera has flattened pods; Matthiola has cylindrical pods and densely hairy gray-green foliage.; vs Streptanthus: Boechera petals narrow gradually without a claw; Streptanthus petals have a distinct narrow claw at base.; vs Penstemon: Boechera has four-petaled flowers and seed pods; Penstemon has tubular five-lobed flowers.; vs Caulanthus: Boechera is perennial with a woody base; Caulanthus is typically annual or biennial without a woody caudex.
Frequently asked questions
Is Boechera arcuata native to California?
Yes. Boechera arcuata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Boechera arcuata bloom?
Boechera arcuata blooms Mar-Jun.
Where in California does Boechera arcuata grow?
Boechera arcuata occurs in Los Angeles, Fresno, Kern, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Mariposa, San Bernardino, Tulare and other counties, at elevations of 300-2000 m.
What plant family does Boechera arcuata belong to?
Boechera arcuata is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Boechera.
What habitat does Boechera arcuata grow in?
Boechera arcuata grows in Rocky hillsides, cliffs, in pine forest, chaparral.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-06
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.