Chenopodium californicum
We do not take online orders for plants. Please come in to the nursery, call or email: (510) 234-2222 or sales@thewatershednursery.com
Share this page
California Goosefoot
California Goosefoot is a perennial herb that grows 0.7 – 3.3 ft. tall with either decumbent to erect stems that can reach up to a meter in height when upright, or a shorter clump or mat when there are many stems. The inflorescences are dense clusters of rounded green flowers dotted along a spike and appear in spring to early summer.
Many indigenous peoples of California use this plant for a variety of applications medicinally and as a source of soap. They also use the seeds to make flower and the leaves and shoots are eaten as cooked vegetables.
Lifeform:
Sun: Full Sun, Part Shade, Shade
Other: Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Moths
| Ecological Value | Likely larval host of the White-lined Sphinx moth and the Common Checkered-Skipper, Common Sootywing, Western Pygmy Blue butterflies. |
|---|---|
| Historical Uses | Medicine and source of soap. The seeds are used to make flour and the leaves and shoots may be eaten as a cooked vegetable. |
| Distribution | Native to California and Baja California |
| Elevation | -3" – 7481" |
| Habitat | Grassland, chaparral, desert, montane |
| Communities | Chaparral, Foothill Woodland, Many plant communities, Valley Grassland, Yellow Pine Forest |