Cuscuta californica
Chaparral dodder
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Convolvulaceae · Type: Vine · Native
Cuscuta californica (Chaparral dodder) is a native California vine in the Convolvulaceae family.
Chaparral dodder is a native perennial parasitic plant found in California's chaparral and woodland habitats. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces small cream to white flowers in compact clusters 3 to 20 flowers long. Growing as a slender, twining parasitic vine without chlorophyll, it attaches to host plants using specialized structures called haustoria. Its tiny flowers are approximately 3 to 5 millimeters long, with bell-shaped calyxes and narrow lanceolate corolla lobes that become reflexed with age. The fruit is small and spheric, measuring 1.5 to 2.2 millimeters wide, containing 1 to 4 seeds.
Habitat and range
California counties: Inyo, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Tulare, Solano, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Orange, San Benito, Riverside, Santa Clara, San Diego, Butte, Kern, Plumas, Humboldt, Glenn, Placer, El Dorado, Ventura, Tuolumne, Contra Costa, Calaveras, Santa Cruz, Tehama, Monterey, Amador, Alameda, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, Nevada, Shasta, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Siskiyou, Stanislaus, Yolo, Fresno, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Sierra, Trinity, Colusa, Lassen, Alpine, Del Norte
How to tell it apart
vs Cassytha: Cassytha has green color visible on close inspection; Cuscuta is pure orange/yellow with no green.; vs Funastrum: Funastrum has leaves and grows from the ground; Cuscuta is leafless and grows on other plants.; vs Eriogonum: Eriogonum grows from soil with visible leaves; Cuscuta wraps around other plants with no leaves.; vs Epilobium: Epilobium has green leaves and stands upright; Cuscuta is leafless orange strings on host plants.; vs Brandegea: Brandegea has tendrils and leaves; Cuscuta has no leaves, just orange thread-like stems.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cuscuta californica native to California?
Yes. Cuscuta californica is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Cuscuta californica grow?
Cuscuta californica occurs in Inyo, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Tulare, Solano, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Orange and other counties.
What plant family does Cuscuta californica belong to?
Cuscuta californica is in the Convolvulaceae family, genus Cuscuta.
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.