Triteleia hyacinthina
White brodiaea, fool's onion, Fool'S Onion
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Family: Themidaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Triteleia hyacinthina (White brodiaea) is a native California herb in the Themidaceae family, recognized by white flowers with very short bowl-shaped tube.
White brodiaea is a California native perennial found in northwestern California, the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Great Valley, central western California, and San Bernardin Mountains in grasslands, vernally wet meadows, and occasionally drier slopes at elevations below 2,000 meters. Flowering from March to July, this plant produces white flowers occasionally flushed with purple, with perianth 9 to 16 millimeters long and green midveins. Growing with erect scapes 30 to 60 centimeters tall that are smooth to slightly rough, it emerges from slender underground corms. Its linear leaves are 10 to 40 centimeters long and 4 to 22 millimeters wide, emerging from the base of the plant. The flowers feature stamens arranged at a single level, with white to yellow anthers and triangular filaments.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 16 sympatric species; white flowers with very short bowl-shaped tube
Habitat and range
Habitat: Grassland, vernally wet meadows, occasionally drier slopes
Elevation: < 2000 m
California counties: Placer, Lake, Monterey, Tuolumne, Tulare, Santa Clara, Plumas, Trinity, Butte, San Joaquin, Sonoma, Siskiyou, Shasta, El Dorado, Mendocino, Del Norte, Sacramento, Alameda, Lassen, Merced, Calaveras, Tehama, Fresno, San Luis Obispo, Modoc, Humboldt, Solano, Amador, Stanislaus, Napa, Mariposa, Yuba, San Mateo, Sierra, San Francisco, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Sutter, Nevada, Alpine, Contra Costa, Glenn, San Benito, Marin, Santa Cruz, Yolo, Colusa, Madera, Kings
Outside California: to British Columbia, Idaho
Bloom period
Triteleia hyacinthina blooms Mar-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Brodiaea: Triteleia has six fertile stamens; Brodiaea has only three fertile stamens plus three white petal-like staminodes.; vs Dipterostemon: Triteleia has tubular flowers; Dipterostemon flowers open wide and spreading.; vs Allium: Triteleia has no onion smell; Allium smells like onion when crushed.; vs Bloomeria: Triteleia has tubular flowers; Bloomeria has spreading golden stars with a nectar cup.; vs Muilla: Triteleia flowers form clear tubes; Muilla petals spread wide and nearly separate.
Frequently asked questions
Is Triteleia hyacinthina native to California?
Yes. Triteleia hyacinthina is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Triteleia hyacinthina bloom?
Triteleia hyacinthina blooms Mar-Jul.
Where in California does Triteleia hyacinthina grow?
Triteleia hyacinthina occurs in Placer, Lake, Monterey, Tuolumne, Tulare, Santa Clara, Plumas, Trinity and other counties, at elevations of < 2000 m.
What plant family does Triteleia hyacinthina belong to?
Triteleia hyacinthina is in the Themidaceae family, genus Triteleia.
What habitat does Triteleia hyacinthina grow in?
Triteleia hyacinthina grows in Grassland, vernally wet meadows, occasionally drier slopes.
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.