Pungent native wildflower confirmed blooming in Mount Hamilton hills
iNaturalist: dedicatedzoologist
Native Plants
If you hike or garden in California's inner coast ranges, Vinegar Weed's sharp, vinegary scent and late-summer purple blooms are a reliable sign that fall is approaching and pollinators like bees are about to get a crucial late-season nectar source.
Vinegar Weed is a scrappy California native plant that gets its name from the sharp, vinegar-like smell it gives off when you brush against it. Someone spotted and photographed one growing near Mount Hamilton, and other naturalists verified the identification, making it an official confirmed record. It's the kind of plant that pops up in dry, sunny grasslands right when most other wildflowers have finished blooming for the year.
Key Findings
Observation was verified to 'research-grade' status through community identification consensus on iNaturalist
Location confirmed as Mount Hamilton, California, part of the plant's native inner Coast Range range
Species is known for its distinctive vinegar-like scent and late-summer to fall blooming period
chevron_right Technical Summary
A citizen scientist confirmed a research-grade sighting of Vinegar Weed, a pungent native California wildflower, growing wild in the hills of Mount Hamilton. The observation adds a verified data point to the public record of where this late-summer bloomer thrives.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Vinegar Weed (Trichostema lanceolatum) observed in Mount Hamilton, CA, US
Research-grade observation of Vinegar Weed in Mount Hamilton, CA, US.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
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Trichostema lanceolatum, with the common names vinegarweed and camphor weed, is an annual flowering herb of the mint family native to western North America.