Rorippa columbiae
Columbia yellow cress
(c) Jeffrey Lee (he/him/his), some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2
Rorippa columbiae (Columbia yellow cress) is a native California herb in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by in MP; unique dense hairiness throughout distinguishes it clearly.
Columbia yellow cress is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in the Modoc Plateau in streambanks, lake or pond margins, meadows, and wet fields at elevations of 1,000 to 1,800 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces small yellow flowers with delicate oblanceolate petals 2.7 to 4.2 millimeters long. Growing with soft-hairy stems 10 to 32 centimeters tall that are erect or sometimes decumbent and branched toward the tip, it spreads through creeping roots. Its mid-stem leaves are uniquely shaped, ranging from oblanceolate to oblong, with wavy or pinnately lobed edges and lateral lobes that often extend to the midrib. The fruit is a small, densely hairy silicle 2.5 to 5.5 millimeters long, containing 24 to 40 tiny ovoid-spheric seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species in MP; unique dense hairiness throughout distinguishes it clearly
Habitat and range
Habitat: Streambanks, lake or pond margins, meadows, wet fields
Elevation: 1000-1800 m
Outside California: to Washington
Bloom period
Rorippa columbiae blooms Jun-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.2
How to tell it apart
vs Barbarea: Rorippa stems stay round and smooth; Barbarea stems develop distinct ridges or angles you can feel.; vs Sisymbrium: Rorippa has a simple rounded stigma tip; Sisymbrium's stigma is clearly two-lobed.; vs Nasturtium: Rorippa pods are short and plump; Nasturtium pods are elongated and curved like tiny bananas.; vs Hirschfeldia: Rorippa grows in wet areas with rounded pods; Hirschfeldia prefers dry disturbed sites with beaked pods.; vs Cystopteris: Rorippa has yellow four-petaled flowers and seed pods; Cystopteris is a fern with no flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Rorippa columbiae native to California?
Yes. Rorippa columbiae is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Rorippa columbiae bloom?
Rorippa columbiae blooms Jun-Aug.
What plant family does Rorippa columbiae belong to?
Rorippa columbiae is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Rorippa.
Is Rorippa columbiae rare or endangered?
Rorippa columbiae carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.2, state rank S2.
What habitat does Rorippa columbiae grow in?
Rorippa columbiae grows in Streambanks, lake or pond margins, meadows, wet fields.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.