Delairea odorata

Cape ivy

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes

Cape ivy is a naturalized perennial vine found in coastal and central California regions including the North Coast, southern North Coast Ranges, western-central Great Valley, Central Coast, San Francisco Bay Area, western South Coast Ranges, and western Southwest at elevations below 1,500 meters in shady, disturbed places, riparian woodlands, and coastal scrub. Flowering from November to March, this plant produces bright yellow flowers in small discoid heads arranged in terminal and axillary clusters. Growing as a twining vine 1 to 6 meters long with green or purple stems that become woody and root at nodes, it spreads extensively through coastal landscapes. Its alternate leaves are widely deltate, palmately divided into 5 to 9 acute lobes, measuring 3 to 8 centimeters across and appearing shiny green to yellow-green. The vine creates dense, fleshy growth that can quickly cover surrounding vegetation, with white, minutely barbed bristles accompanying its cylindrical fruits.

Habitat: Shady, +- disturbed places, riparian woodland, coastal scrub

Bloom period: Nov-Mar

Elevation: < 1500 m

Bioregions: NCo, s NCoR, w-c GV, CCo, SnFrB, w SCoRO, w SW

California counties: Los Angeles, Ventura, San Diego, Alameda, Humboldt, Mendocino, Monterey, Sonoma, Marin, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Contra Costa, Napa, Riverside, Yolo, Sacramento, Orange

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.