Phelipanche ramosa

Family: Orobanchaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

broomrape is a naturalized annual parasitic plant found in northern San Joaquin Valley, San Francisco Bay Area, south coastal ranges, and southern California coastal areas in agricultural landscapes, particularly near tomato fields, at elevations below 50 meters. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces pale blue or lavender flowers with white tubes, emerging from delicate, yellow-tinted stems branching many times near the base. Growing 10 to 60 centimeters tall with multiple slender branches, it lacks chlorophyll and parasitizes host plants in cultivated settings. Its flowers feature pale blue or lavender lobes emerging from a white tubular corolla approximately 10 to 15 millimeters long, with anthers generally lacking hair. This plant is an invasive species that persists in disturbed agricultural environments, adapting to grow alongside cultivated crops.

Habitat: Persisting in and near cultivated (especially tomato) fields

Bloom period: Jul-Sep

Elevation: < 50 m

Bioregions: n SnJV, SnFrB, SCoRI, SCo

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