Castilleja densiflora
Dense flower owl's clover
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Family: Orobanchaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Castilleja densiflora (Dense flower owl's clover) is a native California herb in the Orobanchaceae family.
Dense flower owl's clover is a California native annual found in various bioregions in grasslands and open woodlands at elevations of 10 to 1,000 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces cream, yellow, pink, or rose-purple flowers in dense spikes 3 to 25 centimeters long, with white or purple-tipped bracts. Growing 10 to 40 centimeters tall with few branches from the mid-stem, it has a slender, nearly glabrous appearance. Its leaves are narrow and lance-linear, measuring 20 to 80 millimeters long and less than 3 millimeters wide, with zero to three shallow lobes. The distinctive flowers feature a yellow or cream-colored corolla with a straight 5 to 6 millimeter beak and lower lip pouches 4 to 6 millimeters wide.
Habitat and range
California counties: Ventura, Santa Barbara, Riverside, Madera, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Monterey, Marin, Sonoma, Contra Costa, Tuolumne, Mendocino, Lake, Humboldt, Shasta, Kern, Santa Cruz, Fresno, San Diego, Amador, Yolo, Sutter, Stanislaus, Alameda, San Francisco, Santa Clara
How to tell it apart
vs Triphysaria: Castilleja lacks the sharp fold in flower throat; Triphysaria has abrupt crease above lower lip.; vs Trifolium: Castilleja has tubular flowers with colorful bracts; Trifolium has round heads of pea-like flowers and three leaflets.; vs Pedicularis: Castilleja has open forward beak and colorful bracts; Pedicularis has closed hood and fern-like leaves.; vs Orthocarpus: Castilleja has open beak you can see into; Orthocarpus has closed hood covering stamens completely.; vs Epilobium: Castilleja has tubular two-lipped flowers and colorful bracts; Epilobium has four separate petals arranged in cross.
Frequently asked questions
Is Castilleja densiflora native to California?
Yes. Castilleja densiflora is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Castilleja densiflora grow?
Castilleja densiflora occurs in Ventura, Santa Barbara, Riverside, Madera, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Monterey, Marin and other counties.
What plant family does Castilleja densiflora belong to?
Castilleja densiflora is in the Orobanchaceae family, genus Castilleja.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.