Streptanthus polygaloides subsp. bicolor

Red hills jewelflower

Family: Brassicaceae · Type: annual · Native

Red hills jewelflower is a California native annual found in the Sierra Nevada foothills in open areas of serpentine chaparral at elevations of 200 to 500 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces distinctive yellow and red-purple flowers with intriguing petal and sepal coloration. Growing with slender stems 10 to 30 centimeters tall, it emerges delicately in serpentine landscapes. Its leaves are typically lance-shaped, arranged alternately along the stem, with varying sizes that complement its elegant floral structure. The flower's unique design features yellow adaxial sepals contrasting with red-purple markings on lateral and abaxial sepals, creating a striking botanical display.

Habitat: Open areas in serpentine chaparral

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: 200-500 m

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