Spergularia villosa
Hairy sand-spurrey
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Family: Caryophyllaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Spergularia villosa (Hairy sand-spurrey) is a non-native California herb in the Caryophyllaceae family, recognized by perennial with non-fleshy leaves and leaf clusters.
Hairy sand-spurrey is a naturalized perennial found in coastal and southern California regions, including the North Coast Ranges, Sacramento Valley, Central Coast, Southern Coast, southern Channel Islands, and Peninsular Ranges in sandy slopes, bluffs, and disturbed areas at elevations below 450 meters. Flowering in spring, this plant produces delicate white flowers with conspicuous lanceolate white stipules. Growing with stout stems 0.5 to 2 millimeters in diameter, it forms dense clusters with multiple leaves per axillary cluster. Its leaves are not fleshy, with 2 to 4 leaves clustered in each leaf axil, featuring stipules 3 to 8 millimeters long with acuminate tips. The fruit is 4 to 6.5 millimeters long, producing small reddish-brown seeds that are often winged.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 9 sympatric species; perennial with non-fleshy leaves and leaf clusters
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy slopes, bluffs, clay ridges, plains, disturbed areas
Elevation: < 450 m
California counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Santa Barbara, Alameda, Ventura, San Diego, Amador, Contra Costa, Fresno, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Riverside, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Tuolumne, Sutter, Nevada, Solano, Sonoma, Yolo, Napa, Tulare, Placer, Santa Cruz
Outside California: Oregon, Baja California, native to southern South America
Bloom period
Spergularia villosa blooms Spring.
How to tell it apart
vs Spergula: Spergularia has simple opposite leaves at nodes; Spergula has whorl-like clusters of 16-30 leaves per node.; vs Erodium: Spergularia has tiny pink/white flowers with round capsules; Erodium has purple flowers with long-beaked stork's-bill fruits.; vs Sabulina: Spergularia has fleshy leaves and triangular stipules; Sabulina has thread-like leaves without stipules.; vs Cakile: Spergularia has opposite fleshy leaves with pink flowers; Cakile has alternate fleshy leaves with 4-petaled mustard flowers.; vs Calandrinia: Spergularia has 5 tiny petals and triangular stipules; Calandrinia has 3-7 showy petals and no stipules.
Frequently asked questions
Is Spergularia villosa native to California?
No. Spergularia villosa is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Spergularia villosa bloom?
Spergularia villosa blooms Spring.
Where in California does Spergularia villosa grow?
Spergularia villosa occurs in Los Angeles, Orange, Santa Barbara, Alameda, Ventura, San Diego, Amador, Contra Costa and other counties, at elevations of < 450 m.
What plant family does Spergularia villosa belong to?
Spergularia villosa is in the Caryophyllaceae family, genus Spergularia.
What habitat does Spergularia villosa grow in?
Spergularia villosa grows in Sandy slopes, bluffs, clay ridges, plains, disturbed areas.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Spergularia atrosperma — Black seed sand-spurrey
- Spergularia bocconi — Boccone's sand-spurrey
- Spergularia canadensis var. occidentalis — Western sand-spurrey
- Spergularia macrotheca — Sticky sand-spurrey
- Spergularia macrotheca var. leucantha — Sticky sandspurry
- Spergularia macrotheca var. longistyla — Long styled sand spurrey
- Stellaria borealis subsp. sitchana — Sitka starwort
- Stellaria calycantha — Northern starwort
- Stellaria crispa — Crisp starwort
- Stellaria graminea — Common starwort
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.