Horkelia yadonii
Santa lucia horkelia, Santa Lucia Horkelia
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Trevor Van Loon · licence
Family: Rosaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.2
Horkelia yadonii (Santa lucia horkelia) is a native California herb in the Rosaceae family, recognized by . Key features: wedge-shaped to round leaflets with deep notches, sandy streambed habitat.
Santa lucia horkelia is a rare (CNPS 4.2) California native perennial found in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Coast Ranges in sandy meadow edges and seasonal streambeds within chaparral or foothill-pine woodland at elevations of 350 to 1,900 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces white flowers in small clusters 5 to 10 blooms wide. Growing with gray-green, tufted stems 20 to 60 centimeters tall and spreading hairs, it forms dense, matted patches. Its compound leaves feature 7 to 16 leaflets on each side, each wedge-shaped to round, 4 to 15 millimeters long, often deeply notched with dense surface hairs. The fruit is approximately 1.5 millimeters long, contributing to this delicate and distinctive coastal chaparral species.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species. Key features: wedge-shaped to round leaflets with deep notches, sandy streambed habitat
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy meadow edges, seasonal streambeds in chaparral or foothill-pine woodland
Elevation: 350-1900 m
California counties: San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Santa Barbara
Bloom period
Horkelia yadonii blooms Jun-Sep.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.2
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 yadonii native to California?
Yes. Horkelia yadonii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Horkelia yadonii bloom?
Horkelia yadonii blooms Jun-Sep.
Where in California does Horkelia yadonii grow?
Horkelia yadonii occurs in San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Santa Barbara, at elevations of 350-1900 m.
What plant family does Horkelia yadonii belong to?
Horkelia yadonii is in the Rosaceae family, genus Horkelia.
Is Horkelia yadonii rare or endangered?
Horkelia yadonii carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.2, state rank S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Horkelia bolanderi — Bolander's horkelia
- 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
- Horkeliella congdonis — Congdon's false horkelia
- Horkeliella purpurascens — Purple false horkelia
- Horkeliella sp.
- Ivesia aperta — Sierra valley mousetail
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.