Horkelia clevelandii var. clevelandii
Cleveland's horkelia
(c) Jacob Malcom, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Jacob Malcom · licence
Family: Rosaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Horkelia clevelandii var. clevelandii (Cleveland's horkelia) is a native California perennial in the Rosaceae family, recognized by tufted habit and spreading stem hairs.
Cleveland's horkelia is a California native perennial found in the Peninsular Ranges in meadows and pine forests on granite at elevations of 1,200 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces white to cream-colored flowers in open clusters with 5 to 30 blossoms. Growing with spreading, green to grayish stems 10 to 50 centimeters tall, it forms a distinctive tufted habit with delicate branching. Its compound leaves feature 6 to 12 leaflets per side, each wedge-shaped and 5 to 12 millimeters long with 5 to 10 teeth near the base, covered in dense soft hairs. The plant's petals are widely oblanceolate, 3 to 6 millimeters long, creating a delicate and intricate floral display.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; key features are tufted habit and spreading stem hairs
Habitat and range
Habitat: Meadows, under pines, on granite
Elevation: 1200-2500 m
California counties: San Diego, Riverside
Bloom period
Horkelia clevelandii var. clevelandii blooms May-Aug.
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 clevelandii var. clevelandii native to California?
Yes. Horkelia clevelandii var. clevelandii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Horkelia clevelandii var. clevelandii bloom?
Horkelia clevelandii var. clevelandii blooms May-Aug.
Where in California does Horkelia clevelandii var. clevelandii grow?
Horkelia clevelandii var. clevelandii occurs in San Diego, Riverside, at elevations of 1200-2500 m.
What plant family does Horkelia clevelandii var. clevelandii belong to?
Horkelia clevelandii var. clevelandii is in the Rosaceae family, genus Horkelia.
What habitat does Horkelia clevelandii var. clevelandii grow in?
Horkelia clevelandii var. clevelandii grows in Meadows, under pines, on granite.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.