Draba nemorosa
Woodland draba
(c) Виктория Билоус, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Draba nemorosa (Woodland draba) is a non-native California herb in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by very long pedicels and many seeds.
Woodland draba is a naturalized annual found in the eastern Klamath Ranges in Siskiyou County, occurring in open, disturbed areas, meadows, and riverbanks at around 1,000 meters elevation. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces bright yellow flowers small and delicate, about 1.7 to 2.2 millimeters long. Growing with slender stems 10 to 45 centimeters tall, covered in a dense mixture of simple and branched hairs, it has a delicate, upright form. Its basal leaves are obovate to oblanceolate, 10 to 35 millimeters long, with toothed edges and scattered branched hairs. The fruit is an oblong to elliptic pod 5 to 8 millimeters long, typically glabrous or with fine simple hairs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species; key features are very long pedicels and many seeds
Habitat and range
Habitat: Uncommon. Open, disturbed areas, meadows, riverbanks
Elevation: +- 1000 m.
California counties: Placer, Siskiyou
Outside California: circumboreal, native to Eurasia
Bloom period
Draba nemorosa blooms Apr-Jul.
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 nemorosa native to California?
No. Draba nemorosa is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Draba nemorosa bloom?
Draba nemorosa blooms Apr-Jul.
Where in California does Draba nemorosa grow?
Draba nemorosa occurs in Placer, Siskiyou, at elevations of +- 1000 m..
What plant family does Draba nemorosa belong to?
Draba nemorosa is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Draba.
What habitat does Draba nemorosa grow in?
Draba nemorosa grows in Uncommon. Open, disturbed areas, meadows, riverbanks.
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.