Boechera hoffmannii

Hoffmann's rockcress

Family: Brassicaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1 · Endangered

Hoffmann's rockcress is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native perennial found in northern Channel Islands, specifically Santa Cruz Island, on thin sandstone soils at elevations below 500 meters. Flowering from February to March, this plant produces white to pale lavender flowers approximately 8 to 10 millimeters long with delicate petals. Growing with erect stems 50 to 70 centimeters tall emerging from a woody caudex, it develops from a basal rosette with distinctive branching hairs. Its basal leaves are narrowly oblanceolate, 3 to 8 millimeters wide, with coarse teeth and short-stalked hairs that branch into 2 to 7 rays. The fruit develops as a spreading-ascending silique 6 to 10 centimeters long, containing 170 to 220 seeds arranged in two rows.

Habitat: Thin soil over sandstone

Bloom period: Feb-Mar

Elevation: < 500 m

Bioregions: n ChI (Santa Cruz Island).

California counties: 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.