Tragopogon porrifolius

Salsify, oyster plant, Oyster Plant

Family: Asteraceae · Type: biennial · Not Native

Salsify is a naturalized biennial found in northwestern California, northern Sierra Nevada foothills, Central Valley, central and southern coastal regions, inner North Coast Ranges, desert areas at elevations below 1,300 meters in disturbed places. Flowering from March to November, this plant produces distinctive purple ligule flowers on stalks that widen dramatically toward the flower head. Growing 40 to 100 centimeters tall with straight, generally glabrous leaves that extend 20 to 40 centimeters in length, it develops prominent conical flower heads. Its leaves taper to straight tips, creating a slender, upright profile with smooth green surfaces. The mature fruit develops into an impressive seed head 2.5 to 4 centimeters long with a brownish pappus that aids wind dispersal.

Habitat: Common. Disturbed places

Bloom period: Mar-Nov

Elevation: < 1300 m

Bioregions: NW, n SNF, GV, CW, SW, MP, DSon

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