Ehrendorferia chrysantha

Golden eardrops

Family: Papaveraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Golden eardrops is a California native perennial found in northwestern California, the Sierra Nevada, central western, and southwestern California regions on dry slopes, burned areas, and disturbed sites at elevations below 2,300 meters. Flowering from April to September, this plant produces golden yellow flowers in multi-flowered clusters. Growing with erect stems 50 to 160 centimeters tall, it develops an intricate branching structure. Its leaves are elaborately divided, with 2 to 3 levels of pinnate dissection spanning 15 to 30 centimeters, creating a delicate, feathery appearance. The plant produces distinctive elongated fruits 15 to 25 millimeters long, adding architectural interest to its overall form.

Habitat: dry slopes, burns, disturbed areas

Bloom period: Apr-Sep

Elevation: < 2300 m

Bioregions: NW, SN, CW, SW

California counties: San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside, Kern, Los Angeles, Monterey, Lake, Amador, Napa, Tulare, Contra Costa, Calaveras, Stanislaus, Colusa, Santa Barbara, Merced, Glenn, San Luis Obispo, Mendocino, Ventura, Inyo, Orange, Santa Clara, Mariposa, Fresno, Yolo, Sonoma

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.