Lepidium draba
Heart-podded hoary cress, Heart-Podded Hoary Cress
(c) Stefan.lefnaer, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes
Lepidium draba (Heart-podded hoary cress) is a non-native California herb in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by cordate indehiscent fruits, rhizomed perennial habit, large white petals.
Heart-podded hoary cress is a naturalized perennial herb found in the California Floristic Province and Great Basin in disturbed areas, saline soils, pastures, and fields at elevations below 3,300 meters. Flowering from April to August, this invasive plant produces small white flowers in delicate clusters with petals 3 to 4 millimeters long. Growing with densely branched stems 20 to 65 centimeters tall, it spreads through rhizomes and can form extensive patches in disturbed landscapes. Its leaves vary from obovate to spoon-shaped, with basal leaves early-deciduous and mid-stem leaves ranging from 3 to 15 centimeters long, often clasping the stem with dentate or entire margins. The distinctive heart-shaped fruits are 2.5 to 3.7 millimeters wide, featuring net-veined valves and a flat, obtuse tip.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 24 sympatric species; key features are cordate indehiscent fruits, rhizomed perennial habit, large white petals
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed areas, saline soils, pastures, fields
Elevation: < 3300 m
California counties: San Luis Obispo, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, Lassen, San Mateo, Ventura, Kern, San Benito, Siskiyou, Monterey, Santa Clara, Solano, Santa Cruz, Marin, Orange, Inyo, San Francisco, Sacramento, Yolo, Nevada, Stanislaus, Humboldt, Napa, Kings, El Dorado, Fresno, Modoc, Colusa, Alameda, San Diego, Sierra, Plumas, Yuba
Outside California: Canada, central and eastern United States, native to Eurasia
Bloom period
Lepidium draba blooms Apr-Aug.
Conservation status
Cal-IPC Yes
How to tell it apart
vs Capsella: Small round-to-oval pods versus distinctive triangular heart-shaped pods.; vs Cotula: Mustard with seed pods and 4 petals versus composite with disk flowers only.; vs Soliva: Mustard with flattened seed pods versus composite with spiny achenes.; vs Thysanocarpus: Fruits stand upright or spread versus hanging downward in Thysanocarpus.; vs Lobularia: Flattened oval pods with 1-2 seeds versus inflated round pods with 2 seeds.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lepidium draba native to California?
No. Lepidium draba is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Lepidium draba bloom?
Lepidium draba blooms Apr-Aug.
Where in California does Lepidium draba grow?
Lepidium draba occurs in San Luis Obispo, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, Lassen, San Mateo and other counties, at elevations of < 3300 m.
What plant family does Lepidium draba belong to?
Lepidium draba is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Lepidium.
Is Lepidium draba invasive in California?
Lepidium draba is listed by Cal-IPC with an invasiveness rating of Yes.
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.