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Taxon  Report  
Veratrum californicum  Durand  var. californicum 
California corn lily,   California false hellebore,   Western false hellebore
Veratrum californicum var. californicum is a perennial herb that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in western North America.
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
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Bloom Period
Parent: Veratrum californicum
Genus: Veratrum
Family: Melanthiaceae  
(Liliaceae)
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Monocot
Jepson eFlora section: monocot

Toxicity: Do not eat any part of this plant.

Wetlands:
Arid West: Occurs usually in wetlands, occasionally in non wetlands
Mountains, Valleys and Coast: Equally likely to occur in wetlands and non wetlands

Habitat: meadows

Communities: Douglas-Fir Forest, Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest, Lodgepole Forest, Subalpine Forest, wetland-riparian

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS

Alternate Names:
JEFVeratrum californicum var. caudatum
PLANTSVeratrum speciosum
Information about  Veratrum californicum var. californicum from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
Commercial availability unknown.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (VECAC2)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[wnps.org] Description: Description Large bright green elliptical ribbed leaves; inflorescences of numerous yellowish-green blooms in tall spikes. All parts are poisonous to eat. Sun to partial shade. Moist to dry. Perennial, largest native member of the lily family; grows 3 to 5 ft tall; rhizomatous. At a Glance: Habitat: Moist meadows and woodlands, lowlands to subalpine. Flowers: Six saucer shaped white tepals with a green center (contributed by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 04/18/2024).