Dysphania botrys
Jerusalem oak, Jerusalem Oak
(c) Pavel Kacl, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Chenopodiaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Dysphania botrys (Jerusalem oak) is a non-native California herb in the Chenopodiaceae family, recognized by annual habit and distinctive glandular lobed leaves.
Jerusalem oak is a naturalized annual found in disturbed areas throughout California at elevations below 2,100 meters. Flowering from June to October, this plant produces small green flowers in arching clusters along axillary and terminal panicles. Growing 14 to 65 centimeters tall with glandular stems, it has a distinctive branching habit. Its leaves are wavy to pinnately lobed, with blades 3 to 65 millimeters long, ovate to elliptic, and densely covered in short glandular hairs on the underside. The fruit is tiny, approximately 0.5 millimeters in diameter, with a white-blotchy seed wall that appears bumpy and textured.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species; distinguished by annual habit and distinctive glandular lobed leaves
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed areas
Elevation: < 2100 m
California counties: Plumas, Los Angeles, Butte, Riverside, El Dorado, Amador, Inyo, Mono, Placer, Alpine, Lassen, Nevada, Sierra, Yuba, Tehama, Shasta, Trinity, Colusa, Glenn, Modoc, Alameda, Sonoma, Siskiyou, Humboldt, Del Norte, Mendocino, Santa Barbara, Tulare, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Bernardino, Ventura, Fresno, Mariposa, Santa Clara, Sacramento, Yolo, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Solano, Kern, Lake
Outside California: to Canada, eastern United States, native to Europe, Asia
Bloom period
Dysphania botrys blooms Jun-Oct.
How to tell it apart
vs Artemisia: Dysphania has sticky glandular hairs; Artemisia has fine silky or woolly hairs.; vs Amaranthus: Dysphania is sticky-glandular; Amaranthus is smooth with dense flower spikes.; vs Erigeron: Dysphania has tiny greenish clustered flowers; Erigeron has obvious ray flowers.; vs Baccharis: Dysphania is herbaceous annual; Baccharis is woody shrub.; vs Ambrosia: Dysphania has sticky leaves; Ambrosia has divided leaves without sticky glands.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dysphania botrys native to California?
No. Dysphania botrys is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Dysphania botrys bloom?
Dysphania botrys blooms Jun-Oct.
Where in California does Dysphania botrys grow?
Dysphania botrys occurs in Plumas, Los Angeles, Butte, Riverside, El Dorado, Amador, Inyo, Mono and other counties, at elevations of < 2100 m.
What plant family does Dysphania botrys belong to?
Dysphania botrys is in the Chenopodiaceae family, genus Dysphania.
What habitat does Dysphania botrys grow in?
Dysphania botrys grows in Disturbed areas.
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.