Horkelia californica var. elata
California horkelia
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Family: Rosaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Horkelia californica var. elata (California horkelia) is a native California herb in the Rosaceae family, recognized by deeply lobed leaflets and lack of red-mottled sepals.
California horkelia is a California native perennial found in the northern Coast Ranges, central and southern Sierra Nevada, San Francisco Bay Area, and San Bernardino Mountains in shady meadow edges, seasonal streams, and open chaparral at elevations of 50 to 1,830 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces white flowers with distinctive compound arrangements. Growing with slender stems 20 to 40 centimeters tall, it has a spreading habit with multiple leafy branches. Its leaves feature 7 to 9 finely toothed leaflets on each side, with terminal leaflets 10 to 40 millimeters long, giving the plant a delicate, intricate foliage structure. The fruit develops with small filaments at the flower's base, characteristic of its rosaceous family lineage.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 9 sympatric species; key features are deeply lobed leaflets and lack of red-mottled sepals
Habitat and range
Habitat: Shady meadow edges, seasonal streams, open chaparral
Elevation: 50-1830 m
California counties: Butte, Fresno, Sonoma, Amador, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Napa, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Trinity, Tulare, Yuba, Lake, Mendocino, Tuolumne, Colusa, Marin, Sacramento, Stanislaus
Bloom period
Horkelia californica var. elata blooms Jun-Sep.
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 californica var. elata native to California?
Yes. Horkelia californica var. elata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Horkelia californica var. elata bloom?
Horkelia californica var. elata blooms Jun-Sep.
Where in California does Horkelia californica var. elata grow?
Horkelia californica var. elata occurs in Butte, Fresno, Sonoma, Amador, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Napa, Los Angeles and other counties, at elevations of 50-1830 m.
What plant family does Horkelia californica var. elata belong to?
Horkelia californica var. elata is in the Rosaceae family, genus Horkelia.
What habitat does Horkelia californica var. elata grow in?
Horkelia californica var. elata grows in Shady meadow edges, seasonal streams, open chaparral.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Horkelia californica var. frondosa — California horkelia
- Horkelia clevelandii var. clevelandii — Cleveland's horkelia
- Horkelia congesta var. nemorosa — Josephine horkelia
- Horkelia cuneata — Wedge leaf horkelia
- Horkelia cuneata var. cuneata — Wedge leaved horkelia
- Horkelia cuneata var. puberula — Mesa horkelia
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.