Brodiaea stellaris

Star brodiaea, Star Brodiaea

Family: Themidaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Star brodiaea is a California native perennial found in the central Coast Ranges and northern Coast Range openings in chaparral and coastal forest, typically on serpentine soils at elevations below 900 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces violet flowers with transparent bell-shaped perianths 17.5 to 25 millimeters long, featuring ascending lobes with delicately recurved tips. Growing with a slender scape 2 to 6 centimeters tall, it emerges from underground corms with elegant, narrow stems. Its flowers display distinctive white staminodes with hooded, notched tips leaning toward the stamens, creating a complex and intricate floral structure. Each flower features unique white appendages extending from the filament tips, giving the bloom an intricate and delicate appearance.

Habitat: Openings in chaparral, coastal forest, generally serpentine

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: < 900 m

Bioregions: c&amps NCo, NCoRO.

California counties: Humboldt, Mendocino, Sonoma, Trinity, Alameda, Placer, Yuba, Santa Clara, Shasta

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