Navarretia breweri
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Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Navarretia breweri is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by distinctive yellow flowers and compact dense growth.
Brewer's navarretia is a California native annual found in the Sierra Nevada, San Bernardino Mountains, Great Basin, and Desert Mountains in open, wet areas, meadows, and streamsides at elevations of 1,000 to 3,300 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces delicate yellow flowers in small clusters with needle-like lobes. Growing densely with erect to spreading stems 3 to 8 centimeters tall, it appears brown or reddish with glandular-puberulent texture. Its distinctive green leaves are pinnately lobed with extremely narrow axes, featuring fine needle-like segments that are either entire or delicately forked. The plant's tiny yellow flowers emerge with fine hairy calyxes and prominently extended stamens and styles.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 27 sympatric species; distinctive yellow flowers and compact dense growth
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open, wet areas, meadows, streamsides
Elevation: 1000-3300 m
California counties: Mono, San Bernardino, Tulare, Inyo, Plumas, Lassen, Modoc, Merced, Butte, El Dorado, Alpine, Madera, Sierra, Placer, Nevada, Amador, Tuolumne, Tehama, Calaveras
Outside California: to Washington, Idaho, Colorado, Arizona
Bloom period
Navarretia breweri blooms Jun-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Leptosiphon: Navarretia has spiny, thistle-like flower heads; Leptosiphon has open flower clusters without spines.; vs Gilia: Navarretia has very short glandular hairs; Gilia has white cobwebby or bent hairs.; vs Eriastrum: Navarretia flower heads are spiny but not woolly; Eriastrum heads are densely woolly-white.; vs Saltugilia: Wet the seeds - Navarretia seeds become gelatinous; Saltugilia seeds stay dry.; vs Eryngium: Navarretia has tubular flowers in heads; Eryngium has tiny separate flowers and divided leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Navarretia breweri native to California?
Yes. Navarretia breweri is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Navarretia breweri bloom?
Navarretia breweri blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Navarretia breweri grow?
Navarretia breweri occurs in Mono, San Bernardino, Tulare, Inyo, Plumas, Lassen, Modoc, Merced and other counties, at elevations of 1000-3300 m.
What plant family does Navarretia breweri belong to?
Navarretia breweri is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Navarretia.
What habitat does Navarretia breweri grow in?
Navarretia breweri grows in Open, wet areas, meadows, streamsides.
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.