Sabulina stricta
Bog sandwort, Bog Sandwort
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Caryophyllaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3
Sabulina stricta (Bog sandwort) is a native California perennial in the Caryophyllaceae family, recognized by unique wet alpine habitat and absence of petals.
Bog sandwort is a rare (CNPS 2B.3) California native perennial found in central Sierra Nevada and White and Inyo Mountains in alpine habitats with granitic gravels and sedge meadows at elevations of 3,500 to 3,900 meters. Flowering in August, this delicate plant forms tiny clusters with no visible petals, creating subtle white-green patches in high-elevation landscapes. Growing as a dense, low-growing mat with decumbent to erect stems only 0.8 to 2.5 centimeters tall, it spreads through a compact cespitose growth form. Its leaves are needle-like, extremely narrow at 0.3 to 0.6 millimeters wide, mostly clustered near the base of the plant and appearing flexible and straight. The plant produces small seeds with thick red-brown margins, well-adapted to surviving in harsh alpine environments.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; unique wet alpine habitat and absence of petals
Habitat and range
Habitat: Granitic gravels, sandy wet spots, sedge meadows, alpine
Elevation: 3500-3900 m
Outside California: +- northern Canada, Colorado; circumboreal.
Bloom period
Sabulina stricta blooms Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 2B.3
Frequently asked questions
Is Sabulina stricta native to California?
Yes. Sabulina stricta is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Sabulina stricta bloom?
Sabulina stricta blooms Aug.
What plant family does Sabulina stricta belong to?
Sabulina stricta is in the Caryophyllaceae family, genus Sabulina.
Is Sabulina stricta rare or endangered?
Sabulina stricta carries California Rare Plant Rank 2B.3, state rank S3.
What habitat does Sabulina stricta grow in?
Sabulina stricta grows in Granitic gravels, sandy wet spots, sedge meadows, alpine.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Sabulina californica — California sandwort
- Sabulina cismontana — Cismontane minuartia
- Sabulina decumbens — The lassics sandwort
- Sabulina douglasii — Douglas' stitchwort
- Sabulina howellii — Howell's sandwort
- Sabulina nuttallii — Nuttall's sandwort
- Sagina apetala — Dwarf pearlwort
- Sagina decumbens subsp. occidentalis — Western pearlwort
- Sagina maxima subsp. crassicaulis — Thick-stemmed pearlwort
- Sagina procumbens — Matted pearlwort
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.