Sanicula bipinnatifida
Purple sanicle, shoe buttons, Shoe Buttons
(c) Tom Hilton, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Apiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Sanicula bipinnatifida (Purple sanicle) is a native California herb in the Apiaceae family, recognized by purple flowers and glaucous/purple foliage diagnostic.
Purple sanicle is a California native perennial found in northwestern California, the high Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, northern and central Sierra Nevada, Sutter Buttes, central and southwestern California, and the Modoc Plateau in open grasslands, often on serpentine soils, or in pine and oak woodlands at elevations of 20 to 1,850 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces distinctive purple flowers with yellow accents in small clustered heads. Growing 12 to 60 centimeters tall with a robust taproot, it develops erect stems that support finely dissected green to purple-tinged leaves. Its leaves are complex, with 1 to 2 levels of pinnate divisions, typically featuring 7 or more narrow, sharply toothed segments arranged in an oblong-ovate to nearly round blade. The fruit develops as 3 to 8 ovate seed clusters, each covered with stout, curved prickles that have distinctive bulbous bases.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 10 sympatric species; purple flowers and glaucous/purple foliage diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open grassland, generally on serpentine, or pine/oak woodland
Elevation: 20-1850 m
California counties: Trinity, San Luis Obispo, Yolo, Los Angeles, San Diego, Lake, San Mateo, San Benito, Plumas, Solano, Stanislaus, Santa Clara, San Francisco, Calaveras, Monterey, Butte, Riverside, Orange, Shasta, Tuolumne, Sonoma, Fresno, Contra Costa, Santa Barbara, Mariposa, Kern, Madera, Merced, Sacramento, San Bernardino, Placer, Tulare, Glenn, El Dorado, Napa, Mendocino, Colusa, Marin, Siskiyou, Nevada, Del Norte, Amador, Yuba, San Joaquin, Sutter, Tehama, Humboldt, Alameda, Santa Cruz, Sierra, Lassen
Outside California: to British Columbia, Baja California
Bloom period
Sanicula bipinnatifida blooms Mar-May.
How to tell it apart
vs Lomatium: Sanicula has dense round flower heads; Lomatium has flat-topped umbrella-shaped flower clusters.; vs Tauschia: Sanicula flowers are in tight round heads; Tauschia has open umbrella-shaped clusters.; vs Trifolium: Sanicula fruits are covered in hooked bristles; clover has smooth pods and distinctive three-part leaves.; vs Ranunculus: Sanicula has dense ball-like flower heads; buttercup has individual flowers on separate stalks.; vs Delphinium: Sanicula has round green flower heads; Delphinium has tall spikes of blue/purple spurred flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sanicula bipinnatifida native to California?
Yes. Sanicula bipinnatifida is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Sanicula bipinnatifida bloom?
Sanicula bipinnatifida blooms Mar-May.
Where in California does Sanicula bipinnatifida grow?
Sanicula bipinnatifida occurs in Trinity, San Luis Obispo, Yolo, Los Angeles, San Diego, Lake, San Mateo, San Benito and other counties, at elevations of 20-1850 m.
What plant family does Sanicula bipinnatifida belong to?
Sanicula bipinnatifida is in the Apiaceae family, genus Sanicula.
What habitat does Sanicula bipinnatifida grow in?
Sanicula bipinnatifida grows in Open grassland, generally on serpentine, or pine/oak woodland.
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.