Sibbaldia procumbens
Creeping sibbaldia
(c) Denali National Park and Preserve, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Rosaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Sibbaldia procumbens (Creeping sibbaldia) is a native California subshrub in the Rosaceae family, recognized by Sibbaldia is a small arctic-alpine genus representing an ancient lineage within the rose family.
Creeping sibbaldia is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, San Bernardino Mountains, Warner Mountains, and eastern Sierra Nevada in moist rocky areas at elevations of 1,820 to 3,700 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces tiny yellow flowers less than 1 millimeter wide with widely oblanceolate petals. Growing with spreading stems 2 to 15 centimeters long, it forms a low-growing ground cover with sparse appressed hairs. Its leaves have 5 to 25 millimeter leaflets that are wedge-shaped with three distinctive teeth at the tip. The small brown fruits are often retained in the disintegrating flower cluster, creating an intricate botanical detail.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Sibbaldia is a small arctic-alpine genus representing an ancient lineage within the rose family
Habitat and range
Habitat: Moist rocky areas
Elevation: 1820-3700 m (lowest in n)
California counties: Mono, Fresno, Alpine, Shasta, San Bernardino, Siskiyou, Tulare, Madera, Mariposa, Trinity, Nevada, Modoc, Butte, Inyo, Tuolumne, El Dorado, Sierra, Plumas, Lassen, Placer
Outside California: to northeastern North America, arctic, Mexico, Eurasia
Bloom period
Sibbaldia procumbens blooms Jun-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Fragaria: Sibbaldia has no runners and tiny 1mm yellow petals; Fragaria spreads by runners with large white petals.; vs Duchesnea: Sibbaldia has no runners and tiny 1mm petals; Duchesnea spreads by runners with large yellow petals.; vs Potentilla: Sibbaldia has only 5 stamens and 1mm petals; Potentilla has 20+ stamens and 4-20mm petals.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sibbaldia procumbens native to California?
Yes. Sibbaldia procumbens is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Sibbaldia procumbens bloom?
Sibbaldia procumbens blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Sibbaldia procumbens grow?
Sibbaldia procumbens occurs in Mono, Fresno, Alpine, Shasta, San Bernardino, Siskiyou, Tulare, Madera and other counties, at elevations of 1820-3700 m (lowest in n).
What plant family does Sibbaldia procumbens belong to?
Sibbaldia procumbens is in the Rosaceae family, genus Sibbaldia.
What habitat does Sibbaldia procumbens grow in?
Sibbaldia procumbens grows in Moist rocky areas.
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.