Sarcodes sp.
Snow plant, Snow Plant
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda · licence
Family: Ericaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Sarcodes sp. (Snow plant) is a native California perennial in the Ericaceae family.
How to tell it apart
vs Pterospora: Sarcodes is thick and entirely bright red; Pterospora is thin, brownish-pink, and much taller.; vs Corallorhiza: Sarcodes has dense red bell-flowers on thick fleshy stem; Corallorhiza has sparse bilateral orchid flowers.; vs Kopsiopsis: Sarcodes has bell-shaped flowers and thick red stem; Kopsiopsis has tubular two-lipped flowers.; vs Pedicularis: Sarcodes is fleshy red without leaves; Pedicularis has green fernlike leaves and beaked flowers.; vs Allotropa: Sarcodes is solid bright red; Allotropa has distinctive red-and-white candy-cane stripes.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sarcodes sp. native to California?
Yes. Sarcodes sp. is native to California (recorded as native).
What plant family does Sarcodes sp. belong to?
Sarcodes sp. is in the Ericaceae family, genus Sarcodes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-04-14
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.