Description

California hemp grows in moist places in the Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada from Lake County south into northern Baja, Mexico. It forms a stand of upright stems punctuated with compound leaves, each with three large leaflets. In early summer each stem will be topped with several clusters of lavender flowers with the intricate structure common to members of the pea family. Once the seeds mature, California hemp will slowly go dormant until it dies back to the ground in the winter. The process will begin again with many runners in the spring. Control the spread of this beautiful native by localizing the irrigation. California hemp is so named for the tough fiber that may be harvested from the roots.