Deerweed
Acmispon glaber · Fabaceae
- Form
- Subshrub
- Height
- 2–4 ft
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Water
- Very Low
- Blooms
- Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul
- Habitat
- Chaparral · Coastal Sage Scrub · Grassland
🌿 California native
Quick facts
- Habitat: Chaparral, Coastal Sage Scrub, grassland openings
- Form / size: Fine-textured subshrub, 2–4 ft
- Sun: Full sun · Water (established): Very low
- Blooms: Spring–summer · Pollinator value: High
Description
A fine, broomy native legume with slender green stems and small yellow pea flowers that age orange. It can look delicate, but it is one of the classic early successional shrubs after fire, clearing, or disturbance.
Wildlife & pollinators
Excellent for native bees and a host/nectar plant for butterflies. Seeds and insects in the plant support birds.
Habitat & range
Dry slopes, chaparral openings, coastal sage scrub, roadsides, burns, and grassland edges throughout much of California.
In the garden
Useful as a short-lived nurse plant in dry habitat gardens and restoration plantings. It grows fast, feeds pollinators, improves soil, and makes space for longer-lived shrubs to mature.
Propagation
Grow from seed. Like many legumes, seed germination improves with scarification or a hot-water soak.
Where to see it near you
- iNaturalist — observed in Orange County
- Dry slopes, roadcuts, post-fire areas, and scrub openings.
Problems
Short-lived and can look twiggy after bloom. That is normal; use it as part of a mixed planting.
Sources
Commonly confused with
California Buckwheat 🌿 Eriogonum fasciculatum similar dry habitat, but buckwheat has flat-topped flower clusters, not pea flowers. 
