Ivesia shockleyi var. shockleyi
Shockley's ivesia
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Rosaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Ivesia shockleyi var. shockleyi (Shockley's ivesia) is a native California subshrub in the Rosaceae family, recognized by matted growth form with yellow flowers.
Shockley's ivesia is a California native perennial found in northern and central Sierra Nevada and White and Inyo Mountains in rocky areas at elevations of 2,700 to 4,000 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces yellow flowers 5 to 10 millimeters wide with delicate oblanceolate petals. Growing in a matted form with spreading stems less than 15 centimeters tall, it forms a much-branched green caudex. Its leaves typically range 2 to 8 centimeters long, featuring 5 to 10 leaflets per side with small 1 to 5 millimeter lobes that are oblanceolate to obovate. The plant's fruit is approximately 2 millimeters long and light brown.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; matted growth form with yellow flowers
Habitat and range
Habitat: Rocky areas
Elevation: 2700-4000 m
California counties: Mono, Inyo, Alpine, Placer, Santa Clara, Fresno, Tuolumne
Outside California: southeastern Oregon, northern and central Nevada
Bloom period
Ivesia shockleyi var. shockleyi blooms Jun-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Achillea: Ivesia has rose-like flowers with separate petals; Achillea has composite flower heads with ray and disk flowers.; vs Potentilla: Ivesia has cylindrical bottlebrush leaves with 4-80 tiny leaflets per side; Potentilla has flat leaves with spread-out leaflets.; vs Horkelia: Ivesia has cylindrical leaves with overlapping leaflets; Horkelia has flat leaves with 2-15 distinct, separated leaflets.; vs Eremogone: Ivesia has compound bottlebrush leaves; Eremogone has simple, needle-like or thread-like leaves.; vs Cryptantha: Ivesia has rose-family flowers with separate petals; Cryptantha has fused tubular corollas typical of borages.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ivesia shockleyi var. shockleyi native to California?
Yes. Ivesia shockleyi var. shockleyi is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Ivesia shockleyi var. shockleyi bloom?
Ivesia shockleyi var. shockleyi blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Ivesia shockleyi var. shockleyi grow?
Ivesia shockleyi var. shockleyi occurs in Mono, Inyo, Alpine, Placer, Santa Clara, Fresno, Tuolumne, at elevations of 2700-4000 m.
What plant family does Ivesia shockleyi var. shockleyi belong to?
Ivesia shockleyi var. shockleyi is in the Rosaceae family, genus Ivesia.
What habitat does Ivesia shockleyi var. shockleyi grow in?
Ivesia shockleyi var. shockleyi grows in Rocky areas.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
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.