Caulanthus crassicaulis
Thick-stem wild cabbage, Thick-Stem Wild Cabbage
(c) Stan Shebs, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Caulanthus crassicaulis (Thick-stem wild cabbage) is a native California herb in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by perennial with inflated stems up to 3 cm wide.
Thick-stem wild cabbage is a California native perennial found in the White and Inyo Mountains and northern desert mountains in dry sagebrush scrub and pinyon/juniper woodland at elevations of 900 to 2,900 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces creamy white to purple flowers 10 to 15 millimeters long with distinctive purple or brown petals. Growing with thick stems 20 to 100 centimeters tall that can expand up to 3 centimeters wide, it develops from a woody caudex with simple or minimally branched growth. Its basal leaves form a rosette 2 to 20 centimeters long, ranging from obovate to oblanceolate and varying from entire to dentate or pinnately lobed. The plant produces erect to ascending fruits 4.5 to 14 centimeters long with 98 to 126 small oblong seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; perennial with inflated stems up to 3 cm wide
Habitat and range
Habitat: dry sagebrush scrub, pinyon/juniper woodland
Elevation: 900-2900 m
California counties: Inyo, San Bernardino, Modoc
Outside California: to Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona
Bloom period
Caulanthus crassicaulis blooms Apr-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 crassicaulis native to California?
Yes. Caulanthus crassicaulis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Caulanthus crassicaulis bloom?
Caulanthus crassicaulis blooms Apr-Jul.
Where in California does Caulanthus crassicaulis grow?
Caulanthus crassicaulis occurs in Inyo, San Bernardino, Modoc, at elevations of 900-2900 m.
What plant family does Caulanthus crassicaulis belong to?
Caulanthus crassicaulis is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Caulanthus.
What habitat does Caulanthus crassicaulis grow in?
Caulanthus crassicaulis grows in dry sagebrush scrub, pinyon/juniper woodland.
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.