Hesperis matronalis

Dame's rocket

Family: Brassicaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Dame's rocket is a naturalized perennial found in the Trinity County Klamath Ranges and northern Sierra Nevada foothills in Plumas County, growing along roadsides, slopes, and woodland areas at elevations of 700 to 2,200 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces delicate purple, rose, or white flowers with petals 1.5 to 2 centimeters long and up to 9 millimeters wide. Growing with stems 4 to 8 decimeters tall, covered in both simple and forked hairs, it develops a robust branching structure. Its leaves range from 4 to 15 centimeters long, varying from oblong to lanceolate or obovate, with entire or finely toothed edges. The plant produces elongated fruit pods 6 to 10 centimeters long, which are nearly cylindrical and slightly constricted between seeds.

Habitat: Roadsides, slopes, woodland

Bloom period: Apr-Jul

Elevation: 700-2200 m

Bioregions: KR (Trinity Co.), n SNH (Plumas Co.)

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