Chlorogalum sp.
Soap plant, soaproot, Amole
Family: Agavaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Chlorogalum sp. (Soap plant) is a native California perennial in the Agavaceae family.
How to tell it apart
vs Hooveria: Chlorogalum has branching flower clusters; Hooveria has unbranched racemes.; vs Toxicoscordion: Chlorogalum petals twist together after flowering; death camas petals remain separate.; vs Iris: Chlorogalum has small white flowers in branching clusters; iris has large showy flowers with three drooping petals.; vs Yucca: Chlorogalum has thin wavy-edged leaves and open branching clusters; yucca has stiff sword-leaves and dense clusters.; vs Asparagus: Chlorogalum has wavy-edged leaves from a bulb; asparagus has needle-like leaf scales on branching stems.
Frequently asked questions
Is Chlorogalum sp. native to California?
Yes. Chlorogalum sp. is native to California (recorded as native).
What plant family does Chlorogalum sp. belong to?
Chlorogalum sp. is in the Agavaceae family, genus Chlorogalum.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Chlorogalum angustifolium — Narrow-leaved soap plant
- Chlorogalum grandiflorum — Red hills soaproot
- Chlorogalum pomeridianum — Amole
- Chlorogalum pomeridianum var. divaricatum — Coastal soap plant
- Chlorogalum pomeridianum var. minus — Dwarf soaproot
- Chlorogalum pomeridianum var. pomeridianum — Common soap plant
- Hastingsia alba — Reed lily
- Hastingsia serpentinicola — Klamath rushlily
- Hastingsia sp.
- Hesperocallis sp. — Desert lily
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-04-14
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.