Flower profile

Deerweed

Acmispon glaber

Deerweed (Acmispon glaber) is a flowering plant in the Fabaceae family, blooming mostly March–June across the U.S.

Native to California

Deerweed is a flowering plant. In California it's most often seen in bloom in March–June.

–states where USDA records it

23,381CA sightings*

23,381U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: California

Quick look

Acmispon glaber is a perennial subshrub in the family Fabaceae. The plant is a pioneer species found in dry areas of California, Arizona, and Mexico. It is commonly found in many areas including chaparral, coastal sand and roadsides at elevations below 1500 m.
From Wikipedia's article Acmispon glaber, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Fabaceae family. ^iNaturalist
NatureServe lists it as native to California. ^NatureServe
In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–June. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 23,381 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #18 among the 178 flowers on our California list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In California, most flowering sightings come in March–June.

Flowering records by month in California (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (3,537 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
California: Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in California. ^{CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)}
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant)) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS has no state-by-state distribution for this name, so we can't map it yet.

Names, range and relatives

More from the Fabaceae family (114 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Lupines, White clover, Red clover, Eastern redbud, Purple crownvetch, Bird's-foot trefoil, Partridge pea, White sweetclover.

More California flowers

Pacific pea

Lathyrus vestitus

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: February–May

Rose clover

Trifolium hirtum

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in CA: March–May

Small melilot

Melilotus indicus

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in CA: March–May

Sources

USDA PLANTS: no profile matched this name.
iNaturalist, Acmispon glaber: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Acmispon glaber (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Acmispon glaber (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: W. Terry Hunefeld via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.