Lepidium latifolium
Perennial pepperweed, Perennial Pepperweed
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes
Lepidium latifolium (Perennial pepperweed) is a non-native California herb in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by tall rhizomed perennial habit, small round fruits, large leathery leaves.
Perennial pepperweed is a naturalized perennial herb found in California (excluding the Klamath Ranges and Desert regions) in diverse habitats including pastures, disturbed areas, grasslands, saline meadows, streambanks, sagebrush scrub, and pinyon/juniper woodlands at elevations up to 2,500 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces small white flowers in elongated panicles with petals approximately 2 millimeters wide. Growing with erect, branched stems 3.5 to 12 tall and spreading rhizomatous roots, it forms dense patches in disturbed landscapes. Its leaves vary from elliptic-ovate basal leaves to oblong mid-stem leaves, ranging from 3.5 to 15 centimeters long, with leathery textures and entire or slightly serrated edges. The fruit is a small, flat, wingless pod 1.8 to 2.4 millimeters long, produced in spreading clusters along the stem.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 25 sympatric species; key features are tall rhizomed perennial habit, small round fruits, large leathery leaves
Habitat and range
Habitat: Pastures, disturbed areas, fields, grassland, saline meadows, streambanks, sagebrush scrub, pinyon/juniper woodland, edge of marshes
Elevation: < 2500 m
California counties: Placer, San Bernardino, Fresno, Lake, Los Angeles, Monterey, Napa, Riverside, San Diego, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Yolo, San Francisco, Kern, Modoc, Inyo, Sonoma, Lassen, Orange, Solano, Contra Costa, Sacramento, San Luis Obispo, Ventura, Amador, Colusa, San Joaquin, Mono, Plumas, Butte, Marin, Stanislaus, Santa Barbara, Madera, El Dorado, Sierra, Shasta, Tuolumne, Sutter, Glenn, Siskiyou, Alameda, Tehama, Yuba, Alpine, Santa Cruz, San Benito
Outside California: southern Canada, United States, native to Eurasia
Bloom period
Lepidium latifolium blooms Jun-Sep.
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 latifolium native to California?
No. Lepidium latifolium is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Lepidium latifolium bloom?
Lepidium latifolium blooms Jun-Sep.
Where in California does Lepidium latifolium grow?
Lepidium latifolium occurs in Placer, San Bernardino, Fresno, Lake, Los Angeles, Monterey, Napa, Riverside and other counties, at elevations of < 2500 m.
What plant family does Lepidium latifolium belong to?
Lepidium latifolium is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Lepidium.
Is Lepidium latifolium invasive in California?
Lepidium latifolium 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.