Crupina vulgaris
Bearded creeper
(c) jacinta lluch valero, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes
Crupina vulgaris (Bearded creeper) is a non-native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by Rare naturalized species, only Crupina in California, native to Mediterranean region.
Bearded creeper is a naturalized annual found in southern North Coast Ranges, particularly Sonoma County and the Modoc Plateau, in grassy places at elevations below 1,000 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces small flowers with delicate white to pale purple corollas approximately 14 millimeters long. Growing with leafy stems 20 to 100 centimeters tall that branch extensively, it has distinctive sessile leaves with linear lobes that are minutely toothed. Its basal leaves are oblong to obovate and slightly rough-textured, while cauline leaves are smaller and more narrow. The fruit is a distinctive barrel-shaped structure 3 to 4 millimeters long, with black-brown bristles up to 7 millimeters extending from its surface.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Rare naturalized species, only Crupina in California, native to Mediterranean region
Habitat and range
Habitat: Grassy places
Elevation: < 1000 m
Outside California: to Washington, Idaho, native to southern Europe
Bloom period
Crupina vulgaris blooms May-Aug.
Conservation status
Cal-IPC Yes
How to tell it apart
vs Petasites: Petasites has massive palmately lobed leaves and bladeless stem sheaths; Crupina has normal narrow leaves.; vs Bidens: Bidens has barbed stick-tight seeds and yellow or white flowers; Crupina has purple flowers and unbarbed seeds.; vs Centaurea: Centaurea has many fertile flowers per head; Crupina has only 1-2 fertile flowers per head.; vs Helichrysum: Helichrysum has papery colorful bracts and yellow flowers; Crupina has purple flowers and normal bracts.; vs Bebbia: Bebbia is a woody shrub with yellow flowers; Crupina is herbaceous with purple flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Crupina vulgaris native to California?
No. Crupina vulgaris is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Crupina vulgaris bloom?
Crupina vulgaris blooms May-Aug.
What plant family does Crupina vulgaris belong to?
Crupina vulgaris is in the Asteraceae family, genus Crupina.
Is Crupina vulgaris invasive in California?
Crupina vulgaris is listed by Cal-IPC with an invasiveness rating of Yes.
What habitat does Crupina vulgaris grow in?
Crupina vulgaris grows in Grassy places.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.