Reseda alba

White mignonette

Family: Resedaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

White mignonette is a naturalized perennial herb found in coastal western and southwestern California in disturbed areas, fields, and roadsides at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from May to November, this plant produces white flowers with 5 to 6 petals, each approximately 4.5 to 6 millimeters long and subtly three-lobed. Growing to nearly 1 meter tall with glabrous stems, it develops pinnately lobed leaves with 4 to 11 lobes on each side. Its distinctive leaves feature multiple narrow segments, creating a delicate, finely divided appearance. The plant produces erect fruits with 4 distinct parts, each containing small rough seeds approximately 1.2 to 1.3 millimeters in size.

Habitat: Disturbed areas, fields, roadsides

Bloom period: May-Nov

Elevation: < 100 m

Bioregions: CW, SW (gen coastal)

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