Limnanthes alba
White meadowfoam
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Limnanthaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Limnanthes alba (White meadowfoam) is a native California herb in the Limnanthaceae family.
White meadowfoam is a California native annual found in grasslands and vernal pool habitats across central and northern California. Flowering from March to June, this delicate plant produces white to cream flowers with occasionally yellow bases, the blossoms 8 to 15 millimeters long and bowl-shaped, aging to soft pink or violet. Growing 15 to 40 centimeters tall with erect, glabrous to hairy stems, the plant has a distinctive branching structure. Its compound leaves feature 5 to 11 leaflets ranging from linear to ovate, with each leaflet potentially entire or deeply three-lobed and measuring 2 to 10 centimeters long. The fruit develops as smooth or ridged mericarps, with petals curving protectively over the developing seeds.
Habitat and range
California counties: Tuolumne, Sacramento, Butte, San Joaquin, Tulare, Sonoma, Plumas, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Yuba, Nevada, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Lake, Placer, Sierra, Mariposa, Stanislaus, Colusa, Tehama, Merced, Sutter, Yolo, Glenn, San Diego
How to tell it apart
vs Cerastium: Limnanthes has jagged petal tips and entire leaves; Cerastium has deeply notched petals.; vs Layia: Limnanthes has separate 4-5 petals in a simple flower; Layia is a composite with many ray flowers.; vs Sabulina: Limnanthes has pinnately divided fern-like leaves; Sabulina has simple narrow leaves.; vs Nemophila: Limnanthes has 4 petals with jagged tips; Nemophila has 5 petals with smooth edges.; vs Sidalcea: Limnanthes has 4-5 petals and pinnate leaves; Sidalcea has 5 petals and palmately lobed leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Limnanthes alba native to California?
Yes. Limnanthes alba is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Limnanthes alba grow?
Limnanthes alba occurs in Tuolumne, Sacramento, Butte, San Joaquin, Tulare, Sonoma, Plumas, Amador and other counties.
What plant family does Limnanthes alba belong to?
Limnanthes alba is in the Limnanthaceae family, genus Limnanthes.
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.