Calflora
Taxon  Report   7327    
Sanguisorba officinalis  L.
Great burnet,  Official burnet
Sanguisorba officinalis
© 2008 Keir Morse
Photos from
CalPhotos / Calflora
Sanguisorba officinalis
© 2013 Asa Spade
Sanguisorba officinalis
© 2013 Asa Spade
Sanguisorba officinalis, a dicot, is a perennial herb (rhizomatous) that is native to California, is also found outside of California, but is confined to western North America.
California Rare Plant Rank: 2B.2 (rare, threatened, or endangered in CA; common elsewhere).   8th Edition

Interactive Distribution Map


Observation Hotline
(observation details)



point, line, or polygon

one or more occurrences
within a 7.5-minute quadrangle

Plant Characteristics
and Associations


Bloom Period
Sanguisorba officinalis
© 2008 Keir Morse
Family: ROSACEAE  
Genus: Sanguisorba
Communities: Freshwater Wetlands, North Coastal Coniferous Forest, Red Fir Forest, Mixed Evergreen Forest, wetland-riparian

Wetlands: Occurs usually in wetlands, occasionally in non wetlands

Serpentine affinity: 4.2; (broad endemic / strong indicator)

Habitat: riparian, meadows, freshwater-marsh, bogs/fens

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + CNPS + PLANTS

Alternate Names:
PLANTS: Poterium officinale
PLANTS: Sanguisorba microcephala
PLANTS: Sanguisorba officinalis ssp. microcephala
. . .
More information about  Sanguisorba officinalis
Nursery / seed vendor availability from CNPLX
This plant is available commercially.
Landscaping information from Calscape
Photos on PlantID.net   /   Google Images
Jepson eFlora

Records from the Consortium of California Herbaria

ITIS Original Publication citation

USDA PLANTS Profile (SAOF3)

Search the International Plants Names Index

Search efloras.org (Flora of North America)

website references from Google


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals, including the Consortium of California Herbaria. [web application]. 2019. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: Jan 22, 2019).