Caulanthus hallii
Hall's caulanthus
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Caulanthus hallii (Hall's caulanthus) is a native California herb in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by cream flowers and long fruits on long pedicels diagnostic.
Hall's caulanthus is a California native annual found in the eastern Peninsular Ranges, southern Desert Mountains including the Little San Bernardino Mountains, and western edge of the Desert Sonoran regions in dry, open areas, chaparral, and rocky places at elevations of 150 to 1,800 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces cream-colored flowers 6 to 10.5 millimeters long with erect sepals. Growing with slender, sometimes inflated stems 20 to 120 centimeters tall that are sparsely to densely stiff-hairy, it can be simple or branched toward the top. Its leaves form a basal rosette with oblanceolate or oblong blades 1.5 to 11.5 centimeters long, pinnately lobed with dentate edges, while upper stem leaves become narrower and more linear. The plant produces elongated fruits 6.5 to 12.5 centimeters long, containing 78 to 96 small oblong seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 7 sympatric species; cream flowers and long fruits on long pedicels diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Uncommon. Dry, open areas, chaparral, scrub, rocky places
Elevation: 150-1800 m
California counties: Riverside, San Diego, San Bernardino
Outside California: northern Baja California
Bloom period
Caulanthus hallii blooms Apr-May.
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 hallii native to California?
Yes. Caulanthus hallii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Caulanthus hallii bloom?
Caulanthus hallii blooms Apr-May.
Where in California does Caulanthus hallii grow?
Caulanthus hallii occurs in Riverside, San Diego, San Bernardino, at elevations of 150-1800 m.
What plant family does Caulanthus hallii belong to?
Caulanthus hallii is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Caulanthus.
What habitat does Caulanthus hallii grow in?
Caulanthus hallii grows in Uncommon. Dry, open areas, chaparral, scrub, rocky places.
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.