Cleomella jonesii
Jones' bee plant
(c) Sue Carnahan, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Cleomaceae · Type: Annual · Native
Cleomella jonesii (Jones' bee plant) is a native California annual in the Cleomaceae family, recognized by distinctive tall habit with long narrow capsules.
Jones' bee plant is a California native annual found in western Sonoran Desert regions on dry, sandy flats and weedy roadsides at elevations of 300 to 1,200 meters. Flowering in summer, this plant produces golden yellow flowers with 10 to 13 millimeter petals in elongated racemes. Growing to 50 to 100 centimeters tall with sparsely branched stems, it develops distinctive compound leaves with five linear to elliptic leaflets. Its leaves are arranged with five separate leaflets measuring 1.5 to 6 centimeters long, creating a delicate, spreading structure. The plant produces striking linear capsules 40 to 60 millimeters long with prominent yellow stamens extending 20 to 30 millimeters.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species; distinctive tall habit with long narrow capsules
Habitat and range
Habitat: Dry, sandy flats, desert scrub, weedy roadsides
Elevation: 300-1200 m
Outside California: Arizona, Baja California
Bloom period
Cleomella jonesii blooms Summer.
How to tell it apart
vs Physaria: Physaria has inflated bladder-like pods and 4 petals; Cleomella has small flat round capsules and variable petals.; vs Astragalus: Astragalus has compound leaves and pea-shaped flowers; Cleomella has palmately divided leaves and regular flowers.; vs Sesbania: Sesbania has pinnately compound leaves and large pea flowers; Cleomella has palmate leaves and small regular flowers.; vs Atriplex: Atriplex has tiny greenish flowers and simple leaves; Cleomella has showy flowers and palmately divided leaves.; vs Isocoma: Isocoma has yellow composite flower heads; Cleomella has individual flowers with separate petals and prominent stamens.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cleomella jonesii native to California?
Yes. Cleomella jonesii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cleomella jonesii bloom?
Cleomella jonesii blooms Summer.
What plant family does Cleomella jonesii belong to?
Cleomella jonesii is in the Cleomaceae family, genus Cleomella.
What habitat does Cleomella jonesii grow in?
Cleomella jonesii grows in Dry, sandy flats, desert scrub, weedy roadsides.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-04-09
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.