SafePlants

California Brodiaea (Brodiaea californica)

Brodiaea californica, commonly known as California brodiaea or California Brodiaea, is a perennial plant species within the Brodiaea genus.

Considerations for Pets

• Grows from a bulb.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Brodiaea californica Lindl.
• Common Names: California brodiaea, California Brodiaea, wild hyacinth (referring to Brodiaea spp. generally).
• Family: Themideae (formerly in Lily Family - Liliaceae), now part of Asparagaceae based on Brodiaea matsonii.
• Synonyms: Brodiaea californica var. leptandra, Brodiaea leptandra (though a Wikipedia article doesn't exist)
• Subordinate Taxa:
  • Brodiaea californica var. californica
  • Brodiaea californica subsp. leptandra

Distribution and Habitat

• Native to California and Oregon.
• Found along the west coast of North America, ranging from British Columbia to Baja California.
• Especially common in northern California.
• Grows in grasslands and open woodlands of lower Sierra foothills down to the Valley floor.
• Traditional range is being reduced due to urbanization.

Morphology and Growth Habits

• Perennial plant growing from a bulb.
• Can reach up to 30 inches (approximately 76 cm) tall.
• Reaches 1-2 feet in height with an upright growth habit.
• Flowers are a brilliant purple hue.

Ecology

• Thread-leaved brodiaea is a California endangered plant species, meaning that killing or possession of plants collected from the wild is prohibited.

Interactions with Other Organisms

• Grows with California Goldfields (Lasthenia californica) and Tidy-tips (Layia).

Further Resources

• Discover Life: Biology, natural history, ecology, identification and distribution information.
• Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants of California.
• Native Plant Network.
• University of California publications in botany, v. 60.