Sedum patens

Smith river stonecrop

Family: Crassulaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Smith river stonecrop is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in rocky serpentine habitats at elevations of 90 to 200 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces white to greenish-white flowers in flat-topped clusters with 15 to 31 delicate blossoms. Growing with slender stems 7 to 29 centimeters tall, it forms dense rosettes up to 48 millimeters in diameter with distinctive obovate leaves. Its leaves vary from green to gray-green or reddish, with rosette leaves larger than stem leaves, often featuring a shallowly notched tip. The plant produces small white follicles 5 to 6 millimeters long, with seeds that are finely lanceolate and striate.

Habitat: dry rocky slopes, talus, sunny cliffs, on serpentine

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 90-200 m

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