Draba cana
Canescent draba
no rights reserved · CC0
Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3
Draba cana (Canescent draba) is a native California perennial in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by tall branched stems and numerous flowers.
Canescent draba is a rare California native perennial ranked 2B.3 by CNPS, found in the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains (eastern slope, Inyo County) in subalpine to alpine meadows, tundra, and rock crevices at elevations up to 4,100 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces white flowers 3 to 5 millimeters long with delicate petals. Growing with branched stems 10 to 30 centimeters tall, covered in distinctive four- to ten-rayed hairs, it forms clusters from a woody caudex. Its basal leaves are oblanceolate to linear, 8 to 20 millimeters long, with short-stalked hairs and occasionally toothed edges. The fruit is a flattened, lance-shaped pod 4 to 12 millimeters long, often slightly twisted and bearing multi-rayed hairs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 16 sympatric species; key features are tall branched stems and numerous flowers
Habitat and range
Habitat: Subalpine to alpine meadows, tundra, rock crevices, outcrops
Elevation: < 4100 m
California counties: Mono, Mariposa
Outside California: northern and western United States, Canada
Bloom period
Draba cana blooms May-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 2B.3
How to tell it apart
vs Physaria: Draba has flattened pods; Physaria has inflated balloon-like pods.; vs Lepidium: Draba has flattened pods with 10+ seeds; Lepidium has flat round pods with 2 seeds per chamber.; vs Boechera: Draba pods short and broad; Boechera pods long and narrow like pencils.
Frequently asked questions
Is Draba cana native to California?
Yes. Draba cana is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Draba cana bloom?
Draba cana blooms May-Aug.
Where in California does Draba cana grow?
Draba cana occurs in Mono, Mariposa, at elevations of < 4100 m.
What plant family does Draba cana belong to?
Draba cana is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Draba.
Is Draba cana rare or endangered?
Draba cana carries California Rare Plant Rank 2B.3, state rank S2.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.