Boechera sparsiflora
Sicklepod rockcress
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Boechera sparsiflora (Sicklepod rockcress) is a native California perennial in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by . Key features: large purple flowers, spreading long pods, prominent leaf lobes.
Sicklepod rockcress is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern California Rocky Habitat, Cascade Range, northern Sierra Nevada Foothills, and Great Basin in rocky slopes and sagebrush steppe at elevations of 200 to 2,800 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces lavender to purple flowers 7 to 13 millimeters long with distinctive petal shapes. Growing with slender stems 30 to 80 centimeters tall, emerging from a short-lived rosette with branching hairs near the base. Its leaves range from entire basal leaves 3 to 12 millimeters wide to cauline leaves with small basal lobes 3 to 10 millimeters long, covered in short multi-rayed hairs. The fruit develops as a spreading-ascending silique 5 to 13 centimeters long, containing 90 to 170 seeds in a single row.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 38 sympatric species. Key features: large purple flowers, spreading long pods, prominent leaf lobes
Habitat and range
Habitat: Rocky slopes, sandy soil, in sagebrush steppe, open conifer communities
Elevation: 200-2800 m
California counties: Modoc, Siskiyou, Mono, Los Angeles, Lassen, Plumas, Monterey, Sierra, Shasta, Inyo, Mendocino, Placer, Nevada, San Bernardino, Trinity, Butte, Tehama, Mariposa, Humboldt, Fresno, Kern, Alpine, San Diego, Tuolumne, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Tulare, Sacramento, Alameda
Outside California: to British Columbia, Idaho, Utah
Bloom period
Boechera sparsiflora blooms Apr-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 sparsiflora native to California?
Yes. Boechera sparsiflora is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Boechera sparsiflora bloom?
Boechera sparsiflora blooms Apr-Jun.
Where in California does Boechera sparsiflora grow?
Boechera sparsiflora occurs in Modoc, Siskiyou, Mono, Los Angeles, Lassen, Plumas, Monterey, Sierra and other counties, at elevations of 200-2800 m.
What plant family does Boechera sparsiflora belong to?
Boechera sparsiflora is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Boechera.
What habitat does Boechera sparsiflora grow in?
Boechera sparsiflora grows in Rocky slopes, sandy soil, in sagebrush steppe, open conifer communities.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.