Onobrychis viciifolia

Sanfoin

Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Sanfoin is a naturalized perennial found in northern Sierra Nevada and Modoc Plateau in disturbed places at elevations of 1,000 to 1,550 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces pink flowers approximately 1 centimeter long in dense early clusters. Growing with ascending, somewhat hairy stems, it develops a distinctive structure with 15 to 21 leaflets. Its leaves have narrowly elliptic to obovate leaflets 1 to 2.5 centimeters long, uniquely marked with fine red dots on the upper surface. The fruit is ascending, approximately 6 to 7 millimeters long, with a short-prickly margin and strongly net-ridged texture.

Habitat: Uncommon. Disturbed places

Bloom period: Jun-Aug

Elevation: 1000-1550 m

Bioregions: n SNH, MP

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.