Matthiola incana
Tenweeks stock
(c) Petr Harant, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Subshrub · Not Native
Matthiola incana (Tenweeks stock) is a non-native California subshrub in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by Naturalized European ornamental; large showy flowers unique among California coastal mustards.
Tenweeks stock is a naturalized perennial found in southern Northern Coast, Central Coast, and Southern Coast bioregions in sandy areas, beaches, and ocean bluffs at elevations below 300 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces fragrant flowers in shades of purple, violet, pink, and white, with petals 2 to 3 centimeters long and wide. Growing 2.5 to 6 meters tall with occasionally woody bases, it has an upright habit with multiple stems. Its leaves are linear to oblong, ranging from 4 to 16 centimeters long and 0.8 to 1.8 centimeters wide, with entire to wavy margins. The fruit is a long, flat pod 6 to 12 centimeters in length, with seeds nestled in distinctive chambers.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Naturalized European ornamental; large showy flowers unique among California coastal mustards
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy areas, beaches, ocean bluffs
Elevation: < 300 m
California counties: Santa Cruz, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Riverside, Monterey, San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Butte
Outside California: Mexico, native to Europe
Bloom period
Matthiola incana blooms Mar-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Boechera: Matthiola is densely fuzzy with star-hairs and has large flowers; Boechera is smooth to sparsely hairy with small flowers.; vs Arabis: Matthiola has dense star-shaped hairs creating fuzzy stems; Arabis has simple hairs or is nearly smooth.; vs Bougainvillea: Matthiola has 4-petaled flowers; Bougainvillea's showy parts are colorful bracts, not petals.; vs Raphanus: Matthiola is densely star-hairy throughout; Raphanus has sparse simple hairs and rough stems.; vs Antirrhinum: Matthiola has symmetrical 4-petaled flowers; Antirrhinum has snapdragon-shaped tubular flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Matthiola incana native to California?
No. Matthiola incana is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Matthiola incana bloom?
Matthiola incana blooms Mar-Jun.
Where in California does Matthiola incana grow?
Matthiola incana occurs in Santa Cruz, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Riverside and other counties, at elevations of < 300 m.
What plant family does Matthiola incana belong to?
Matthiola incana is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Matthiola.
What habitat does Matthiola incana grow in?
Matthiola incana grows in Sandy areas, beaches, ocean bluffs.
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.