Ligusticum californicum
California licorice root
(c) Dean Wm. Taylor, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Apiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Ligusticum californicum (California licorice root) is a native California herb in the Apiaceae family.
California licorice root is a native perennial found in northern California coastal areas, Klamath Ranges, high Cascade Range, and northern Sierra Nevada in chaparral and woodland habitats, often on serpentine, at elevations of 15 to 1,500 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces small white flowers in compound umbels with 16 to 30 unequal rays. Growing 60 to 120 centimeters tall with glabrous stems, it develops a robust, upright form with multiple stems. Its large triangular-ovate leaves are ternate-pinnate with leaflets 1.5 to 4 centimeters long, divided into wide, obtuse segments that create a complex, deeply lobed appearance. The fruit is an oblong-ovate structure 4 to 6 millimeters long with narrowly winged ribs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; key differentiators are glabrous condition, shallower leaf segments, and drier habitat preference
Habitat and range
Habitat: Chaparral, woodland, often on serpentine
Elevation: 15-1500 m
California counties: Del Norte, Trinity, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama, El Dorado, Sierra, Humboldt, Marin, Mendocino, Mariposa, Plumas, Butte, Glenn, Tulare
Outside California: southwestern Oregon
Bloom period
Ligusticum californicum blooms Jun-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Perideridia: Ligusticum has fibrous-wrapped stem bases; Perideridia has smooth bases with tuberous roots.; vs Conium: Ligusticum has fibrous stem bases in mountains; Conium has purple-spotted stems in disturbed lowlands.; vs Oenanthe: Ligusticum has fibrous stem bases; Oenanthe has thickened root crowns in wetlands.; vs Angelica: Ligusticum stem bases wrapped in fibrous remains; Angelica bases smooth and clean.; vs Lomatium: Ligusticum has white flowers and fibrous stem bases; Lomatium often yellow-flowered without fibrous bases.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ligusticum californicum native to California?
Yes. Ligusticum californicum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Ligusticum californicum bloom?
Ligusticum californicum blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Ligusticum californicum grow?
Ligusticum californicum occurs in Del Norte, Trinity, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama, El Dorado, Sierra, Humboldt and other counties, at elevations of 15-1500 m.
What plant family does Ligusticum californicum belong to?
Ligusticum californicum is in the Apiaceae family, genus Ligusticum.
What habitat does Ligusticum californicum grow in?
Ligusticum californicum grows in Chaparral, woodland, often on serpentine.
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.