Snow Plant!
Sarcodes sanguinea
Originally published Jan 14, 2026
I’ve decided to try something new. Since I’ve dedicated this year to writing more on my Sub Stack and I still struggle with getting the longform pieces out that I would like to, I’d like to try something new. Something that aligns with other projects I have going on outside of the written word. So I’m giving this a try, every week I will choose a random California Native I am learning about it and share it with you guys. I also want to try and include either my own photos or a piece of art associated with it. If you like where this is going feel free to subscribe!
This week our first California native is the Snow Plant!
Fleshy, pink, and a little fuzzy, upon first glance and touch, Sarcodes sanguinea, feels more like a weird fungus or a piece of meat than a California wildflower, if not for it’s striking efflorescence and lack of obvious smell. These parasitic flowers are relatively easy to identify but hard to find. You’re most likely to find them in US west coast conifer forests in Oregon, California, and Nevada. They tend to appear in late winter and spring. The illustration above is based on a flower I found in Lassen, California.
It was a warm day in May, and in the middle of setting up a research site; my group and I saw them poking out of beds of pine needles at the base of a few pine trees. The entire plant is a deep pinkish red and it lacks green leaves entirely, because it doesn’t need to photosynthesize. Instead it parasitizes the mycorrhizal fungi networks within a forest. So in a way it’s a good sign if you see them around as it could indicate a well establish mycorrhizal network beneath your feet.
Have you ever seen a Snow plant before?
I have actually talked about Snow Plants before, but it was in a list and I feel like it was missing a bit of personality. So to kick off my California Native of the Week series I want to go back to the past a bit. If this is your first time welcome :)
If you’d like a more detailed description and to read what I originally wrote about them feel free to check it out here:
Ink and Marker Drawing of the Snow Plant
