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Erysimum capitatum

western wallflower

Brassicaceae Western North America

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant Fragrant (light)Container Friendly

Native to North America

SunFull Sun

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 3–8

Overview

Erysimum capitatum is a biennial or short-lived perennial in the mustard family, growing 8-40 inches (20-100 cm) tall on one or several erect, mostly unbranched stems. A basal rosette of narrow, lance-shaped leaves 1-5 inches (2.5-13 cm) long forms in the first year, with smaller leaves alternating up the stem. From spring into summer each stem ends in a dense, rounded cluster of four-petaled flowers, each 0.5-0.8 inch (1.2-2 cm) across, typically yellow to orange and sometimes cream, maroon, or red. The flowers carry a light fragrance and open over several weeks as the cluster elongates into a raceme. Slender four-sided seed pods 1.5-4 inches (4-10 cm) long stand upright along the stem and split to release flat seeds. The plant grows on dry slopes, rocky outcrops, sandy flats, and open woodland from low desert to alpine elevations. It tolerates drought and poor soils but is short-lived, often dying after flowering, and persists in gardens through self-sowing. Wet, heavy soils cause crown rot.

Native Range

Native to western and central North America, ranging from British Columbia and the Great Plains south to Mexico. It grows across a wide elevation range on dry slopes, rocky outcrops, sandy flats, and open coniferous woodland.

Suggested Uses

Grown in rock gardens, gravel gardens, dry borders, and wildflower meadows where its spring flowers draw bees and butterflies. It suits xeric and pollinator plantings on poor, free-draining soils. Self-sowing lets it drift through naturalistic schemes from year to year.

How to Identify

Identify by the erect stems topped with rounded clusters of four-petaled yellow-to-orange flowers and the narrow, lance-shaped leaves edged with small teeth. As seeds set, the flower cluster lengthens into a raceme of slender, upright, four-sided pods. The cross-shaped flowers and pods mark it as a member of the mustard family.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height8" - 3'4"

Width/Spread6" - 1'

Colors

Flower Colors

red

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~6 weeks

Spring Summer

Four-petaled flowers open from spring into early summer, the exact timing shifting later at higher elevations. Blooms begin in a tight, rounded head and continue for several weeks as the cluster stretches upward. Seed pods ripen through summer.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

yellow to orange

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

sand loam rocky

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

Flowers in second year from seed

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Performs in full sun on free-draining, lean soil, including sandy, gravelly, or rocky ground at a pH from 6.0 to 7.5. Once established it tolerates drought and needs little water, while wet or heavy soils bring on crown and root rot. Plants are hardy in zones 3 to 8 and withstand cold, dry winters. As a biennial or short-lived perennial, it forms a rosette the first year, flowers, then often dies, returning from self-sown seed. Lean conditions and sharp drainage produce sturdier plants than rich, watered beds. It self-sows where the ground stays open.

Pruning

No routine pruning is needed. Cutting back spent flower stems can prompt a second, smaller flush and tidies the plant. Leaving some stems to seed maintains the planting, since individual plants are short-lived.