Synthyris cordata

Serpentine snow queen

Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Serpentine snow queen is a California native perennial found in northwestern California in moist serpentine forest habitats at elevations of 100 to 1,000 meters. Flowering from February to April, this plant produces distinctive blue flowers in small clusters of 5 to 10 blossoms, with corollas up to 9 millimeters long. Growing with delicate stems and compact growth, it reaches modest heights with curved flowering stalks that often recline on the soil. Its leaves are broadly ovate with heart-shaped bases, typically 7 centimeters long and up to 6.5 centimeters wide, featuring rounded or slightly pointed tips. The plant produces small fruits up to 3.5 millimeters long with sparsely hairy margins, characteristic of its serpentine woodland environment.

Habitat: Moist forest, serpentine

Bloom period: Feb-Apr

Elevation: 100-1000 m

Bioregions: NW

California counties: Sonoma, Trinity, Humboldt, Del Norte, Mendocino

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