Drymocallis glandulosa var. wrangelliana
Sticky cinquefoil
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Family: Rosaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Drymocallis glandulosa var. wrangelliana (Sticky cinquefoil) is a native California perennial in the Rosaceae family, recognized by large flowers and coastal low-elevation habitat.
Sticky cinquefoil is a California native perennial found in northern coastal, central western, and southern coastal bioregions in coastal scrub openings and moist, partially shaded places at elevations below 1,000 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces cream or pale yellow flowers approximately 4.5 to 6.5 millimeters wide in spreading inflorescences. Growing with erect stems 20 to 70 centimeters tall, it develops a leafy, branching structure with stems spreading at angles of 30 to 55 degrees. Its basal leaves feature 3 pairs of lateral leaflets with a terminal leaflet that is widely obovate, measuring 30 to 60 millimeters long and having double-serrated edges with 9 to 17 teeth on each side. The flower's hypanthium is accompanied by small bractlets 4 to 7 millimeters long, with sepals spreading and widely obtuse.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; distinguished by large flowers and coastal low-elevation habitat
Habitat and range
Habitat: Openings in coastal scrub, moist or +- shaded places
Elevation: < 1000 m
California counties: Sonoma, Marin, Santa Cruz, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Humboldt, Orange, Santa Clara, Ventura, Riverside, Alameda, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, San Mateo, Monterey, San Bernardino, Mendocino, Contra Costa, Lake, San Benito, Solano, Napa
Outside California: southwestern Oregon, northern Baja California
Bloom period
Drymocallis glandulosa var. wrangelliana blooms Mar-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Potentilla: Drymocallis has club-shaped styles thickest in the middle; Potentilla has slender styles throughout.; vs Fragaria: Drymocallis has yellow-white flowers and dry achenes; Fragaria has white flowers and red fleshy fruits.; vs Horkelia: Drymocallis has swollen fusiform styles; Horkelia has flattened filaments forming a tube around pistils.; vs Rubus: Drymocallis has simple yellow flowers and herbaceous stems; Rubus has aggregate white-pink flowers and woody stems.; vs Dasiphora: Drymocallis has herbaceous stems and fusiform styles; Dasiphora is a woody shrub with slender styles.
Frequently asked questions
Is Drymocallis glandulosa var. wrangelliana native to California?
Yes. Drymocallis glandulosa var. wrangelliana is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Drymocallis glandulosa var. wrangelliana bloom?
Drymocallis glandulosa var. wrangelliana blooms Mar-Jun.
Where in California does Drymocallis glandulosa var. wrangelliana grow?
Drymocallis glandulosa var. wrangelliana occurs in Sonoma, Marin, Santa Cruz, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Humboldt, Orange, Santa Clara and other counties, at elevations of < 1000 m.
What plant family does Drymocallis glandulosa var. wrangelliana belong to?
Drymocallis glandulosa var. wrangelliana is in the Rosaceae family, genus Drymocallis.
What habitat does Drymocallis glandulosa var. wrangelliana grow in?
Drymocallis glandulosa var. wrangelliana grows in Openings in coastal scrub, moist or +- shaded places.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.