Sabulina douglasii
Douglas' stitchwort
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Caryophyllaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Sabulina douglasii (Douglas' stitchwort) is a native California herb in the Caryophyllaceae family, recognized by distinctive thread-like curled leaves and large petals.
Douglas' stitchwort is a California native annual found in northwestern California, the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, central Coast Ranges, central western California, southwestern California, and Modoc Plateau in rocky and sandy slopes within chaparral, oak, and pine woodlands, often on serpentine soils at elevations of 100 to 1,800 meters. Flowering from spring to early summer, this delicate plant produces small white flowers with petals slightly longer than the sepals. Growing 4 to 30 centimeters tall with erect to spreading stems that are finely glandular-hairy and can be green or purple, it develops from a thread-like taproot. Its leaves are extremely narrow, thread-like, 5 to 30 millimeters long and approximately 0.3 millimeters wide, becoming curled and flexible as they grow. The tiny reddish-brown seeds are 1.3 to 2 millimeters long with a thin, wing-like margin.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 11 sympatric species; distinctive thread-like curled leaves and large petals
Habitat and range
Habitat: Rocky, sandy slopes, flats in chaparral, oak and pine woodland, often serpentine
Elevation: 100-1800 m
California counties: Mendocino, Humboldt, Kern, Ventura, Tuolumne, Stanislaus, Colusa, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Fresno, Tulare, Riverside, Alameda, Butte, Contra Costa, Lake, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Modoc, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, San Benito, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Tehama, Trinity, Amador, Calaveras, Del Norte, El Dorado, Glenn, Merced, Plumas, Sutter, Yuba, San Francisco, Lassen, Yolo
Outside California: southern Oregon, Arizona
Bloom period
Sabulina douglasii blooms Spring-early summer.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sabulina douglasii native to California?
Yes. Sabulina douglasii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Sabulina douglasii bloom?
Sabulina douglasii blooms Spring-early summer.
Where in California does Sabulina douglasii grow?
Sabulina douglasii occurs in Mendocino, Humboldt, Kern, Ventura, Tuolumne, Stanislaus, Colusa, San Bernardino and other counties, at elevations of 100-1800 m.
What plant family does Sabulina douglasii belong to?
Sabulina douglasii is in the Caryophyllaceae family, genus Sabulina.
What habitat does Sabulina douglasii grow in?
Sabulina douglasii grows in Rocky, sandy slopes, flats in chaparral, oak and pine woodland, often serpentine.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · 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.