Sanicula arctopoides

Footsteps of spring, yellow mats, Yellow Mats

Family: Apiaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Footsteps of spring is a California native perennial found in northern coastal and central coastal bioregions on open coastal bluffs, headlands, and dunes at elevations below 250 meters. Flowering from February to May, this plant produces small yellow flowers in delicate clusters with distinctive bracts. Growing prostrate across the ground, it spreads 10 to 30 centimeters wide with a strong taproot and erect flowering stems. Its leaves are bright yellow-green, triangular to round, and intricately dissected into coarsely toothed lobes 2 to 6.5 centimeters wide. The fruit develops small obovate seeds with curved, inflated prickles that give the plant its charming, distinctive texture.

Habitat: Open coastal bluffs, headlands, dunes

Bloom period: Feb-May

Elevation: < 250 m

Bioregions: NCo, CCo

California counties: Humboldt, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Del Norte, Marin, San Luis Obispo, Sonoma, Mendocino, Santa Barbara, El Dorado, San Diego, Santa Clara

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