Valerianella locusta
Corn salad
(c) Dilrukshan Priyantha Wijesinghe, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Dilrukshan Priyantha Wijesinghe · licence
Family: Valerianaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Valerianella locusta (Corn salad) is a non-native California herb in the Valerianaceae family.
Corn salad is a naturalized annual found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, northern Sierra Nevada, northern Sacramento Valley, Central Coast, and San Francisco Bay Area in moist, generally shaded sites at elevations below 1,400 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces small white flowers with subtle blue lobes. Growing with sparsely hairy stems 10 to 45 centimeters tall, the plant has a delicate, upright form. Its leaves vary from obovate to narrowly oblong, with lower leaves petioled and upper leaves nearly sessile, ranging from 0.5 to 3 centimeters long and occasionally featuring subtle dentate edges on distal leaves. The small fruits are approximately 2 to 3 millimeters wide, contributing to its compact and unassuming appearance.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 1 sympatric species; broader distribution and fruit width (1.5-2mm vs 1-1.5mm) are key differentiators
Habitat and range
Habitat: Moist, generally shaded sites
Elevation: < 1400 m
California counties: Trinity, Siskiyou, Amador, El Dorado, Calaveras, Marin, Contra Costa, Yuba, Colusa, Plumas, Mendocino
Outside California: to Montana, Utah, eastern Canada, eastern United States, native to Europe
Bloom period
Valerianella locusta blooms Apr-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Plectritis: Valerianella forks repeatedly in symmetrical pattern; Plectritis has simple or few-branched stem.; vs Scandix: Valerianella has tiny flowers and symmetrical forking; Scandix has umbrella-like flower clusters with long beaked fruits.; vs Centranthus: Valerianella is delicate annual with candelabra branching; Centranthus is robust perennial with simple stems.; vs Valeriana: Valerianella is annual with simple leaves; Valeriana is perennial with compound fern-like leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Valerianella locusta native to California?
No. Valerianella locusta is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Valerianella locusta bloom?
Valerianella locusta blooms Apr-Jun.
Where in California does Valerianella locusta grow?
Valerianella locusta occurs in Trinity, Siskiyou, Amador, El Dorado, Calaveras, Marin, Contra Costa, Yuba and other counties, at elevations of < 1400 m.
What plant family does Valerianella locusta belong to?
Valerianella locusta is in the Valerianaceae family, genus Valerianella.
What habitat does Valerianella locusta grow in?
Valerianella locusta grows in Moist, generally shaded sites.
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.