Horkelia bolanderi
Bolander's horkelia
(c) Don Loarie, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Rosaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2
Horkelia bolanderi (Bolander's horkelia) is a native California herb in the Rosaceae family, recognized by matted gray habit and crowded, deeply toothed leaflets.
Bolander's horkelia is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in northern California Coast Ranges in vernally wet pine forest edges at elevations of 450 to 1,100 meters. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces white to cream flowers in small clusters with petals 3 to 5.5 millimeters long. Growing with grayish, somewhat matted stems 10 to 30 centimeters tall, it develops dense ascending to appressed hairs along its stems. Its compound leaves have approximately 7 leaflets per side, each wedge-shaped to obovate, 4 to 10 millimeters long, with about five teeth near the tip and covered in dense hair. The plant forms compact mats with numerous pistils and delicate white blossoms characteristic of its mountain forest habitat.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; key features are matted gray habit and crowded, deeply toothed leaflets
Habitat and range
Habitat: Edges of vernally wet places in pine forest
Elevation: 450-1100 m
California counties: Mendocino, Lake, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, Ventura
Bloom period
Horkelia bolanderi blooms May-Sep.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.2
How to tell it apart
vs Drymocallis: Horkelia has exactly 10 stamens and white-pink flowers; Drymocallis has 20+ stamens and yellow-white flowers.; vs Erodium: Horkelia has pinnate leaves and rose-family flowers; Erodium has lobed/divided leaves and long-beaked fruits.; vs Phacelia: Horkelia has rose-family flowers with separate petals; Phacelia has bell-shaped fused corollas with protruding stamens.; vs Potentilla: Horkelia has exactly 10 stamens and flattened filaments; Potentilla has 20+ stamens and thread-like filaments.; vs Ivesia: Horkelia has flat leaves with 2-15 separated leaflets; Ivesia has cylindrical bottlebrush leaves with overlapping leaflets.
Frequently asked questions
Is Horkelia bolanderi native to California?
Yes. Horkelia bolanderi is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Horkelia bolanderi bloom?
Horkelia bolanderi blooms May-Sep.
Where in California does Horkelia bolanderi grow?
Horkelia bolanderi occurs in Mendocino, Lake, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, Ventura, at elevations of 450-1100 m.
What plant family does Horkelia bolanderi belong to?
Horkelia bolanderi is in the Rosaceae family, genus Horkelia.
Is Horkelia bolanderi rare or endangered?
Horkelia bolanderi carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.2, state rank S1.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Horkelia californica — California horkelia
- Horkelia californica var. californica — California horkelia
- Horkelia californica var. elata — California horkelia
- Horkelia californica var. frondosa — California horkelia
- Horkelia clevelandii var. clevelandii — Cleveland's horkelia
- Horkelia congesta var. nemorosa — Josephine horkelia
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · 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.