Draba howellii
Howell's draba
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Draba howellii (Howell's draba) is a native California herb in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by large petals and wide fruits with long styles.
Howell's draba is a native perennial herb found in the Klamath Ranges in rock crevices at elevations of 1,950 to 2,650 meters. Flowering from July to August, this plant produces bright yellow flowers 4 to 8 millimeters long in clusters of 7 to 18 blooms. Growing as a loosely tufted plant with unbranched stems 4 to 11 centimeters tall, it has distinctive star-shaped (2-4 rayed) hairs covering its surfaces. Its basal leaves are oblanceolate to obovate, 4 to 16 millimeters long, with stalked star-shaped hairs and entire margins. The plant produces fruits 6 to 11 millimeters long, which are lanceolate and flat with both simple and star-shaped hairs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species; key features are large petals and wide fruits with long styles
Habitat and range
Habitat: rock crevices
Elevation: 1950-2650 m
California counties: Siskiyou, Trinity, Shasta, Del Norte, Humboldt
Outside California: southwestern Oregon
Bloom period
Draba howellii blooms Jul-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
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 howellii native to California?
Yes. Draba howellii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Draba howellii bloom?
Draba howellii blooms Jul-Aug.
Where in California does Draba howellii grow?
Draba howellii occurs in Siskiyou, Trinity, Shasta, Del Norte, Humboldt, at elevations of 1950-2650 m.
What plant family does Draba howellii belong to?
Draba howellii is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Draba.
Is Draba howellii rare or endangered?
Draba howellii carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S4.
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 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.