Menyanthes trifoliata
Bogbean
(c) Michael J. Papay, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Michael J. Papay · licence
Family: Menyanthaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Menyanthes trifoliata (Bogbean) is a native California herb in the Menyanthaceae family, recognized by Circumboreal wetland species; only bogbean family representative in California with distinctive trifoliate aquatic morphology.
Bogbean is a California native perennial found in central coastal, Klamath, California Ranges, Sierra Nevada, and northern coastal regions in ponds, bogs, swamps, wet meadows, and lake margins at elevations of 900 to 3,200 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces white to pink flowers in racemes with funnel-shaped blossoms that have spreading lobes 5 to 8 millimeters long, generally pink-tipped and coarse-hairy inside. Growing with prostrate rhizomes and emerging flower branches, it develops leafy stems with distinctive three-leaflet configurations. Its leaves are basal and alternate, with oblong-obovate leaflets 2 to 12 centimeters long and 1 to 5 centimeters wide, emerging from long petioles that have wing-like stipule margins. The fruit develops as a two-valved, nearly ellipsoid capsule containing compressed, elliptical seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Circumboreal wetland species; only bogbean family representative in California with distinctive trifoliate aquatic morphology
Habitat and range
Habitat: Ponds, bogs, swamps, wet meadows, seeps, margins of shallow lakes
Elevation: 900-3200 m
California counties: Sierra, Nevada, Plumas, Fresno, Inyo, Tulare, Shasta, El Dorado, Tuolumne, Riverside, Mendocino, Modoc, Santa Cruz, Humboldt, Madera, Marin, Lassen, Siskiyou, Butte, San Francisco, Del Norte, Trinity, Alpine
Outside California: to Alaska, Colorado, Michigan, Maine, circumboreal
Bloom period
Menyanthes trifoliata blooms May-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Nymphoides: Menyanthes has 3-parted clover-like leaves; Nymphoides has simple heart-shaped floating leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Menyanthes trifoliata native to California?
Yes. Menyanthes trifoliata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Menyanthes trifoliata bloom?
Menyanthes trifoliata blooms May-Aug.
Where in California does Menyanthes trifoliata grow?
Menyanthes trifoliata occurs in Sierra, Nevada, Plumas, Fresno, Inyo, Tulare, Shasta, El Dorado and other counties, at elevations of 900-3200 m.
What plant family does Menyanthes trifoliata belong to?
Menyanthes trifoliata is in the Menyanthaceae family, genus Menyanthes.
What habitat does Menyanthes trifoliata grow in?
Menyanthes trifoliata grows in Ponds, bogs, swamps, wet meadows, seeps, margins of shallow lakes.
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.