Flower profile
Wavy-leafed soap plant
Chlorogalum pomeridianum
Wavy-leafed soap plant is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In California it's most often seen in bloom in May–July.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: California
Quick look
Chlorogalum pomeridianum, the wavy-leafed soap plant, California soaproot, or Amole, is the most common and most widely distributed of the soap plants, soaproots or amoles, which make up the genus Chlorogalum of flowering plants. It is occasionally known as the "wild potato", but given the plant's lack of either resemblance or relationship to the potato, this name is not recommended.
- It belongs to the Asparagaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 2 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to California. NatureServe
- In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 19,462 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #24 among the 110 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist
Wavy-leafed soap plant gift ideas
Handmade wavy-leafed soap plant gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Wavy-leafed soap plant art print
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Wavy-leafed soap plant greeting card
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Wavy-leafed soap plant mug
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Wavy-leafed soap plant earrings
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Wavy-leafed soap plant embroidery pattern
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Wavy-leafed soap plant sticker
When does it bloom?
In California, most flowering sightings come in May–July.
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?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
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 records wavy-leafed soap plant in 2 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
California, Oregon.
California counties with USDA records: Alameda, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Kern, Lake, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Plumas, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, Yolo.
More California flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CHPO3.
- iNaturalist, Chlorogalum pomeridianum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Chlorogalum pomeridianum (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, Chlorogalum pomeridianum (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Alexander Wentworth via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.