Chaparral pea
Pickeringia montana
Last reviewed: October 2026
Chaparral pea (Pickeringia montana) is a perennial shrub native to CA. It blooms in May, June, and July. The flowers draw bees.
Toxicity unknown
Chaparral pea (Pickeringia montana) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.
Light
full sun
Water
low
Size
24"–60" H × 48"–96" W
Bloom
May, Jun, Jul
Native to
CA
Pollinators
bees
Before you buy
Your city may pay you to plant this
Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 459 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.
Find rebates in your areaPicture natives in your own yard
Upload a photo of your yard and Patch Vision shows a rendering of it planted with natives for your region, like Chaparral pea.
Browse plants for this ecoregion
A dense, spiny evergreen shrub that spreads by underground stems into an impenetrable chaparral thicket, with small magenta-pink pea flowers in early summer. Its tangled, thorny growth reads as unkempt in a front-yard setting.
Growing Chaparral pea
Grow Chaparral pea in full sun and low water. Mature plants reach 24 to 60 inches tall and spread 48 to 96 inches wide.
Wildlife value
The thicket habit provides secure nesting cover for small birds, and the summer flowers draw native bees.
Common questions
- How much sun does Chaparral pea need?
- Chaparral pea grows best in full sun conditions.
- When does Chaparral pea bloom?
- Chaparral pea blooms in May, June, and July.
- Where is Chaparral pea native?
- Chaparral pea (Pickeringia montana) is native to CA, per vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists.
- What pollinators does Chaparral pea attract?
- Chaparral pea draws bees.
Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
If something looks wrong
Common plant problems, and what to check first
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
Ready to grow Chaparral pea? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.