Erysimum menziesii

Menzies' wallflower

Family: Brassicaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1 · Endangered

Menzies' wallflower is a rare California native perennial ranked 1B.1 by CNPS, found in the northern and central Coast ranges in coastal dunes, headlands, and cliffs at elevations below 300 meters. Flowering from January to August, this plant produces vibrant yellow flowers with petals 15 to 30 millimeters long and 6 to 14 millimeters wide. Growing with slender stems 2 to 25 centimeters tall, it forms a short-lived biennial or perennial habit with distinctive star-shaped hairs. Its leaves are spoon-shaped, 0.5 to 1.5 centimeters wide, ranging from entire to slightly lobed, covered in (2) 3 to 5 (7) branched hairs. The fruit develops into a long cylindrical pod 3 to 14 centimeters in length, with seeds bearing wings that are widest at the tip.

Habitat: Coastal dunes, headlands, cliffs

Bloom period: Jan-Aug

Elevation: < 300 m

Bioregions: NCo, CCo

California counties: Humboldt, Mendocino, Monterey, Nevada

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