Caulanthus coulteri
Coulter's jewel flower
(c) Neal Kelso, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Caulanthus coulteri (Coulter's jewel flower) is a native California herb in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by bristly hairs and large wavy petals with terminal sterile clusters diagnostic.
Coulter's jewel flower is a California native annual found in southern Sierra Nevada foothills, Tehachapi, southwestern San Joaquin Valley, southeastern San Francisco Bay Area, eastern Coast Ranges, and western Transverse Ranges in dry, exposed slopes, chaparral, woodland, scrub, and grassland at elevations of 80 to 2,100 meters. Flowering from March to July, this plant produces white to purple flowers with dark purple veins, wavy-margined and 8 to 25 millimeters long. Growing with bristly stems 1 to 1.6 meters tall, it has simple and forked hairs that give the plant a rough texture. Its basal leaves are 1 to 17 centimeters long, narrowly oblong to oblanceolate, with coarse teeth or pinnate lobes, while cauline leaves are lanceolate and sessile with lobed or clasping bases. The fruits are spreading to reflexed, cylindric, and 3.5 to 15 centimeters long with reflexed pedicels.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 8 sympatric species; bristly hairs and large wavy petals with terminal sterile clusters diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Dry, exposed slopes, chaparral, woodland, scrub, grassland
Elevation: 80-2100 m
California counties: Kern, Los Angeles, San Benito, Santa Barbara, Tulare, Ventura, Madera, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Fresno, San Diego, San Bernardino, Inyo
Bloom period
Caulanthus coulteri blooms Mar-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Streptanthus: Seed pods are cylindrical and round versus flattened blade-like pods in Streptanthus.; vs Sisymbrium: Petals are distinctively crinkled and papery versus smooth petals in Sisymbrium.; vs Hirschfeldia: Young pods reflex sharply downward versus pointing upward or outward.; vs Boechera: Pods reflex downward and contain wingless seeds versus erect pods with winged seeds.; vs Brassica: Young seed pods bend sharply downward versus pointing upward in Brassica.
Frequently asked questions
Is Caulanthus coulteri native to California?
Yes. Caulanthus coulteri is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Caulanthus coulteri bloom?
Caulanthus coulteri blooms Mar-Jul.
Where in California does Caulanthus coulteri grow?
Caulanthus coulteri occurs in Kern, Los Angeles, San Benito, Santa Barbara, Tulare, Ventura, Madera, Monterey and other counties, at elevations of 80-2100 m.
What plant family does Caulanthus coulteri belong to?
Caulanthus coulteri is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Caulanthus.
What habitat does Caulanthus coulteri grow in?
Caulanthus coulteri grows in Dry, exposed slopes, chaparral, woodland, scrub, grassland.
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.