Caulanthus heterophyllus
San diego wild cabbage
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Caulanthus heterophyllus (San diego wild cabbage) is a native California herb in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by reflexed flattened fruits and non-wavy petal margins diagnostic.
San diego wild cabbage is a California native annual herb found in eastern Santa Lucia Mountains, southern California, and the southern Peninsular Ranges in dry, open scrub and chaparral habitats at elevations below 1,400 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces purple or creamy white flowers 6 to 15 millimeters long with darker purple veins. Growing with erect, bristly stems 25 to 120 centimeters tall that are generally branched toward the top, it develops distinctive foliage with basal leaves 1 to 10 centimeters long, ranging from linear-oblanceolate to linear-oblong and coarsely dentate or pinnately lobed. Its cauline leaves are sessile, lance-linear, with bases that are lobed or clasping, and may be entire or dentate. The plant produces elongated fruits 4.5 to 10 centimeters long, which are reflexed and hold 56 to 82 small oblong seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species; reflexed flattened fruits and non-wavy petal margins diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Dry, open scrub, chaparral, generally after fire, disturbance
Elevation: < 1400 m
California counties: San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Ventura, Tulare
Outside California: Baja California
Bloom period
Caulanthus heterophyllus blooms Mar-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 heterophyllus native to California?
Yes. Caulanthus heterophyllus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Caulanthus heterophyllus bloom?
Caulanthus heterophyllus blooms Mar-May.
Where in California does Caulanthus heterophyllus grow?
Caulanthus heterophyllus occurs in San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Ventura and other counties, at elevations of < 1400 m.
What plant family does Caulanthus heterophyllus belong to?
Caulanthus heterophyllus is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Caulanthus.
What habitat does Caulanthus heterophyllus grow in?
Caulanthus heterophyllus grows in Dry, open scrub, chaparral, generally after fire, disturbance.
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.