Navarretia squarrosa
Skunkweed, Skunkweed
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Navarretia squarrosa (Skunkweed) is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by distinctive skunk odor.
Skunkweed is a California native annual found in northwestern California, the northern Sierra Nevada foothills in Sacramento, Amador, and Calaveras counties, and central western California in open, wet, gravelly habitats at elevations below 1,100 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces dark to light blue, pink, or white flowers 9 to 12 millimeters long with distinctive 2-millimeter lobes. Growing with erect stems 10 to 60 centimeters tall, it has ascending branches covered in long, glandular hairs and a notable skunk-like odor. Its lower leaves are 1 to 2-pinnately lobed with linear segments, while upper leaves have shorter axes with narrowly lanceolate lobes that are often forked and prickled on the back. The plant's outer bracts are leaf-like, with a middle lobe that is lanceolate and wider than the lateral lobes.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 45 sympatric species; distinguished by distinctive skunk odor
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Open, wet, gravelly flats, slopes
Elevation: < 1100 m
California counties: Santa Cruz, Amador, El Dorado, San Francisco, Mendocino, Humboldt, Sonoma, Alameda, San Mateo, Butte, Monterey, Marin, Santa Clara, Lake, San Luis Obispo, Contra Costa, Napa, Del Norte, Glenn, Calaveras, Sacramento, San Benito, Trinity, Tuolumne, Yuba
Outside California: to British Columbia
Bloom period
Navarretia squarrosa 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 squarrosa native to California?
Yes. Navarretia squarrosa is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Navarretia squarrosa bloom?
Navarretia squarrosa blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Navarretia squarrosa grow?
Navarretia squarrosa occurs in Santa Cruz, Amador, El Dorado, San Francisco, Mendocino, Humboldt, Sonoma, Alameda and other counties, at elevations of < 1100 m.
What plant family does Navarretia squarrosa belong to?
Navarretia squarrosa is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Navarretia.
What habitat does Navarretia squarrosa grow in?
Navarretia squarrosa grows in Common. Open, wet, gravelly flats, slopes.
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.