Hackelia floribunda
Many-flowered stickseed
(c) Anders Hastings, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Hackelia floribunda (Many-flowered stickseed) is a native California herb in the Boraginaceae family, recognized by small flowers, biennial habit, few/no abaxial prickles.
Many-flowered stickseed is a California native perennial found in the Sierra Nevada and Great Basin mountain ranges in meadows, streambanks, and occasionally open forest slopes at elevations of 1,370 to 3,050 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces small blue flowers in narrow clusters with delicate, slightly spreading petals. Growing with slender stems 40 to 120 centimeters tall, it develops spreading, somewhat coarse hairs along its mid-stem sections. Its lower stem leaves are oblanceolate to narrow-elliptic, measuring 5 to 24 centimeters long and 0.5 to 3.5 centimeters wide, often withering by flowering time. The fruit consists of small nutlets with occasional marginal prickles, giving the plant its distinctive "stickseed" character.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 8 sympatric species; key features are small flowers, biennial habit, few/no abaxial prickles
Habitat and range
Habitat: Uncommon. Meadows, streambanks, other vernally wet areas, occasionally open slopes, forests
Elevation: 1370-3050 m
California counties: Mono, Inyo, Alpine, Amador, Tulare, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Tuolumne, El Dorado, Fresno, Sierra
Outside California: western North America
Bloom period
Hackelia floribunda blooms Jun-Aug.
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 floribunda native to California?
Yes. Hackelia floribunda is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Hackelia floribunda bloom?
Hackelia floribunda blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Hackelia floribunda grow?
Hackelia floribunda occurs in Mono, Inyo, Alpine, Amador, Tulare, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada and other counties, at elevations of 1370-3050 m.
What plant family does Hackelia floribunda belong to?
Hackelia floribunda is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Hackelia.
What habitat does Hackelia floribunda grow in?
Hackelia floribunda grows in Uncommon. Meadows, streambanks, other vernally wet areas, occasionally open slopes, forests.
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.