Navarretia mellita
(c) Arvel Hernandez, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Navarretia mellita is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by distinctive bracts and strong odor.
Honey navarretia is a California native annual found in northwestern California, central and northern Sierra Nevada foothills, San Francisco Bay Area, southern Coast Ranges, and western Transverse Ranges in open, wet, sandy or gravelly areas at elevations of 90 to 1,200 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces light blue flowers with white throats in delicate heads approximately 5 to 7 millimeters long. Growing with erect stems 5 to 20 centimeters tall, it develops many ascending branches that are distinctively glandular-hairy. Its leaves are pinnate-lobed with linear segments, with basal leaves having longer axes and cauline leaves featuring shorter, wider axes. The plant is characterized by an unusual strong but not skunk-like odor and intricate palmately branched bracts with an expanded base and distinctive forked lateral lobes.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 47 sympatric species; distinguished by distinctive bracts and strong odor
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open, wet, sandy or gravelly areas, chaparral
Elevation: 90-1200 m
California counties: Humboldt, Lake, Monterey, Alameda, Santa Cruz, Solano, Mendocino, Contra Costa, Marin, Sonoma, Napa, Ventura, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Tehama, Glenn, Calaveras, Santa Barbara, San Benito, Tuolumne, San Luis Obispo, Trinity, Madera, Amador, Yolo, Colusa
Bloom period
Navarretia mellita blooms May-Jul.
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 mellita native to California?
Yes. Navarretia mellita is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Navarretia mellita bloom?
Navarretia mellita blooms May-Jul.
Where in California does Navarretia mellita grow?
Navarretia mellita occurs in Humboldt, Lake, Monterey, Alameda, Santa Cruz, Solano, Mendocino, Contra Costa and other counties, at elevations of 90-1200 m.
What plant family does Navarretia mellita belong to?
Navarretia mellita is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Navarretia.
What habitat does Navarretia mellita grow in?
Navarretia mellita grows in Open, wet, sandy or gravelly areas, chaparral.
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.