Hackelia cusickii
Cusick's stickseed
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Hackelia cusickii (Cusick's stickseed) is a native California herb in the Boraginaceae family, recognized by appressed upward hairs and slender habit.
Cusick's stickseed is a California native perennial found in the Modoc Plateau in juniper woodlands at elevations of 1,300 to 1,950 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces blue flowers in small, open clusters with corollas 7 to 13 millimeters in diameter. Growing with slender stems 10 to 50 centimeters tall that have strongly appressed hairs, it forms an upright, delicate structure. Its leaves are narrow and elliptic, with basal leaves 5 to 18 centimeters long and lower stem leaves 5 to 10 centimeters long, both covered in stiff, appressed hairs. The fruit consists of small nutlets with 8 to 15 abaxial prickles, each 3 to 4.5 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 4 sympatric species; key features are appressed upward hairs and slender habit
Habitat and range
Habitat: Under junipers
Elevation: 1300-1950 m
California counties: Modoc, Lassen, Siskiyou, Plumas
Outside California: to east-central Oregon
Bloom period
Hackelia cusickii blooms May-Jul.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
How to tell it apart
vs Myosotis: Hackelia has downward-curved fruit stalks and barbed seeds; Myosotis has smooth seeds.; vs Adelinia: Hackelia fruit stalks curve downward; Adelinia stalks remain upright or spreading.; vs Cynoglossum: Hackelia seeds sit in shallow cups; Cynoglossum seeds are deeply embedded in dense burrs.; vs Phlox: Hackelia has barbed seeds and coiled clusters; Phlox has capsules and open flower arrangements.; vs Mertensia: Hackelia has flat-faced flowers and barbed seeds; Mertensia has bell-shaped flowers and smooth seeds.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hackelia cusickii native to California?
Yes. Hackelia cusickii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Hackelia cusickii bloom?
Hackelia cusickii blooms May-Jul.
Where in California does Hackelia cusickii grow?
Hackelia cusickii occurs in Modoc, Lassen, Siskiyou, Plumas, at elevations of 1300-1950 m.
What plant family does Hackelia cusickii belong to?
Hackelia cusickii is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Hackelia.
Is Hackelia cusickii rare or endangered?
Hackelia cusickii carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S3S4.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.