Reseda lutea
Yellow mignonette
(c) Benjamin Flatt, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Resedaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Reseda lutea (Yellow mignonette) is a non-native California herb in the Resedaceae family, recognized by geographic isolation to Lake County creekbeds and yellow flowers.
Yellow mignonette is a naturalized perennial herb found in southern Lake County in creekbed habitats at elevations of 400 to 750 meters. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces delicate yellow flowers with unequally 2 to 3-lobed petals approximately 2 to 3 millimeters long. Growing to less than 70 centimeters tall with a glabrous stem, it develops pinnately-lobed leaves with 1 to 3 lobes on each side. Its leaves feature intricate pinnate lobing, creating a fine, textured appearance along the plant's slender structure. The fruit develops as an erect, 3-parted structure containing smooth seeds approximately 1.5 to 1.7 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 1 sympatric species; geographic isolation to Lake County creekbeds and yellow flowers are diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Creekbeds
Elevation: 400-750 m
Outside California: native to Mediterranean
Bloom period
Reseda lutea blooms May-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Rumex: Reseda has 4-6 petals per flower in dense spikes; Rumex has no petals, just greenish sepals in whorls.; vs Erigeron: Reseda has spike-like clusters of small individual flowers; Erigeron has composite daisy-like flower heads.; vs Ambrosia: Reseda has small flowers with visible petals; Ambrosia has no petals, just green composite flower heads.; vs Verbascum: Reseda flowers are tiny in dense spikes; Verbascum has large 5-petaled flowers in tall racemes.; vs Oligomeris: Reseda has 4-6 petals and 10-25 stamens; Oligomeris has only 2 petals and 3-4 stamens.
Frequently asked questions
Is Reseda lutea native to California?
No. Reseda lutea is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Reseda lutea bloom?
Reseda lutea blooms May-Sep.
What plant family does Reseda lutea belong to?
Reseda lutea is in the Resedaceae family, genus Reseda.
What habitat does Reseda lutea grow in?
Reseda lutea grows in Creekbeds.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.