Draba cuneifolia
Wedge leaved draba
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Draba cuneifolia (Wedge leaved draba) is a native California herb in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by annual habit, dentate leaves, and apetalous late flowers.
Wedge leaved draba is a California native annual herb found in southern Sierra Nevada, San Joaquin Valley, southwestern California, White and Inyo Mountains, and desert regions in open or disturbed places at elevations up to 2,100 meters. Flowering from January to May, this plant produces white flowers in compact clusters, with petals 2.5 to 4.5 millimeters long. Growing with slender stems 3 to 27 centimeters tall, it develops distinctive star-shaped hairs covering its leaves and stems. Its leaves are oblanceolate to broadly obovate, measuring 1 to 3.5 centimeters long, with toothed edges and a mix of stalked, multi-rayed hairs. The fruit is an oblong to linear pod 6 to 12 millimeters long, containing 24 to 66 tiny ovoid seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 18 sympatric species; key features are annual habit, dentate leaves, and apetalous late flowers
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open or disturbed places
Elevation: < 2100 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Imperial, Tulare, Inyo, Kern, Ventura, Stanislaus, Merced, Santa Barbara, Alameda, Colusa, Orange, Fresno
Outside California: western United States, northern Mexico
Bloom period
Draba cuneifolia blooms Jan-May.
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 cuneifolia native to California?
Yes. Draba cuneifolia is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Draba cuneifolia bloom?
Draba cuneifolia blooms Jan-May.
Where in California does Draba cuneifolia grow?
Draba cuneifolia occurs in San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Imperial, Tulare, Inyo, Kern and other counties, at elevations of < 2100 m.
What plant family does Draba cuneifolia belong to?
Draba cuneifolia is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Draba.
What habitat does Draba cuneifolia grow in?
Draba cuneifolia grows in Open or disturbed places.
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.