Vancouveria chrysantha
Siskiyou inside-out-flower, Siskiyou Inside-Out-Flower
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Family: Berberidaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Vancouveria chrysantha (Siskiyou inside-out-flower) is a native California herb in the Berberidaceae family, recognized by yellow flowers are diagnostic versus white-flowered congeners.
Siskiyou inside-out-flower is a California native perennial found in northern Coast and western Klamath Ranges in dry sites, chaparral, and conifer forest at elevations below 1,500 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces distinctive yellow flowers with reflexed, hood-like petals 4 to 6 millimeters long. Growing with delicate stems that become red-brown with age, it forms an elegant woodland understory plant. Its persistent leaves range from 10 to 36 centimeters long, with upper surfaces glabrous to sparsely hairy and undersides sparse to densely hairy. The plant's small fruits are 9 to 12 millimeters long and covered in short glandular hairs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; yellow flowers are diagnostic versus white-flowered congeners
Habitat and range
Habitat: dry sites, chaparral, conifer forest
Elevation: < 1500 m
California counties: Del Norte, Siskiyou
Outside California: southwestern Oregon
Bloom period
Vancouveria chrysantha blooms May-Jun.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
How to tell it apart
vs Cardamine: Vancouveria has heart-shaped leaflets and reflexed petals; Cardamine has rounded leaflets and flat 4-petaled flowers.; vs Tiarella: Vancouveria has compound leaves divided into heart-shaped leaflets; Tiarella has simple, lobed maple-like leaves.; vs Hedera: Vancouveria is a ground-level herb; Hedera is a woody climbing vine with thick leathery leaves.; vs Asarum: Vancouveria has compound leaves and white flowers; Asarum has simple kidney-shaped leaves and hidden brownish flowers at ground level.; vs Oxalis: Vancouveria has heart-shaped leaflets and backward-curved petals; Oxalis has notched heart-shaped leaflets and cup-shaped flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Vancouveria chrysantha native to California?
Yes. Vancouveria chrysantha is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Vancouveria chrysantha bloom?
Vancouveria chrysantha blooms May-Jun.
Where in California does Vancouveria chrysantha grow?
Vancouveria chrysantha occurs in Del Norte, Siskiyou, at elevations of < 1500 m.
What plant family does Vancouveria chrysantha belong to?
Vancouveria chrysantha is in the Berberidaceae family, genus Vancouveria.
Is Vancouveria chrysantha rare or endangered?
Vancouveria chrysantha carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.