Mentzelia congesta
Clustered blazing star
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Loasaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Mentzelia congesta (Clustered blazing star) is a native California herb in the Loasaceae family, recognized by distinctive white-scarious bracts with green margins.
Clustered blazing star is a California native annual found in the eastern Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi, western Transverse Ranges, southern California coastal ranges, Peninsular Ranges, southeastern Sierra Nevada, and desert mountains in disturbed slopes, pine forest, sagebrush scrub, and pinyon/juniper woodland at elevations of 1,200 to 2,700 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces pale yellow to yellow flowers with orange bases, three to seven millimeters long, in dense clusters. Growing with erect stems seven to 40 centimeters tall that range from smooth to hairy, it develops distinctive bracts with white-scarious edges and green margins. Its leaves measure one to nine centimeters long and vary from entire to lobed, with irregular shapes. The fruit is an upright cylindrical structure five to 12 millimeters long, containing seeds with irregular angular shapes and tan coloration.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 24 sympatric species; distinctive white-scarious bracts with green margins
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed slopes, pine forest, sagebrush scrub, pinyon/juniper woodland
Elevation: 1200-2700 m
California counties: Kern, Mono, Tulare, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Inyo, Lassen, El Dorado, Ventura, Riverside, San Diego, Mariposa, Santa Barbara, Nevada, Placer, Fresno, Siskiyou, Modoc, Sierra, Alpine, San Benito
Outside California: to Idaho
Bloom period
Mentzelia congesta blooms May-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Camissoniopsis: Mentzelia has many stamens and 3 stigmas; Camissoniopsis has 8 stamens and 4 stigmas.; vs Leptosiphon: Mentzelia has free petals and many stamens; Leptosiphon has fused petals forming a tube.; vs Emmenanthe: Mentzelia has free petals and 3 stigmas; Emmenanthe has fused bell-shaped petals.; vs Eschscholzia: Mentzelia has many stamens and 3 stigmas; Eschscholzia has many stamens and 4 stigmas.; vs Potentilla: Mentzelia has 3 stigmas and capsule fruit; Potentilla has many pistils and achene fruits.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mentzelia congesta native to California?
Yes. Mentzelia congesta is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Mentzelia congesta bloom?
Mentzelia congesta blooms May-Jul.
Where in California does Mentzelia congesta grow?
Mentzelia congesta occurs in Kern, Mono, Tulare, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Inyo, Lassen, El Dorado and other counties, at elevations of 1200-2700 m.
What plant family does Mentzelia congesta belong to?
Mentzelia congesta is in the Loasaceae family, genus Mentzelia.
What habitat does Mentzelia congesta grow in?
Mentzelia congesta grows in Disturbed slopes, pine forest, sagebrush scrub, pinyon/juniper woodland.
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.