# Contra Costa goldfields (*Lasthenia conjugens*)

Contra Costa goldfields are bright yellow flowers that bloom in the spring. They grow in sunny places and are a special sight in California's grasslands.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Rare
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands

![Contra Costa goldfields](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Lasthenia_conjugens.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Bureau of Land Management, US Department of the Interior, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lasthenia_conjugens.jpg)

## Appearance

The Contra Costa goldfields has brilliant, golden-yellow flower heads, each resembling a tiny sunflower, atop slender stems. Its bright, abundant blooms often create a carpet of gold in grassy fields. Unlike many similar yellow flowers, its ray florets are often broad and overlap, giving a very full look.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Asterales
- **Family:** Asteraceae
- **Genus:** Lasthenia

## Interesting facts

- Each bright 'flower' is actually many tiny flowers grouped together, like a mini bouquet!
- Goldfields prefer vernal pools, which are temporary wetlands that dry up in summer.
- Its name honors Contra Costa County, where scientists first formally identified this rare beauty.
- These tiny flowers are critically endangered, found in only a few special spots in California!

## Special abilities

- **Tolerant Toughness:** Contra Costa goldfields can grow in heavy clay soils that are too harsh for many other plants, helping it survive in specific locations.
- **Ephemeral Bloom:** Contra Costa goldfields has a very short, intense blooming period that helps it quickly complete its life cycle before summer drought arrives.
- **Seed Bank Secret:** Contra Costa goldfields can keep its seeds dormant in the soil for years, waiting for perfect rain conditions to sprout.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 5-30 cm
- **Spread:** 5-15 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring (March-May)
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** [Yellow-faced Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellow-faced-bumble-bee) (*Bombus vosnesenskii*) — Visits flowers for nectar and pollen, aiding reproduction.
- **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Gathers nectar and pollen, transferring it between flowers.
- **Eats:** [Botta's Pocket Gopher](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bottas-pocket-gopher) (*Thomomys bottae*) — May consume roots and underground parts of the plant.

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.
- [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Enjoy looking at flowers, but don't pick them so others can enjoy them too!

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Contra Costa goldfields?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Contra Costa goldfields?

5-30 cm

### How wide does Contra Costa goldfields spread?

5-15 cm

### How big are the flowers on Contra Costa goldfields?

1-2 cm

### When does Contra Costa goldfields bloom?

Spring (March-May)

### Is Contra Costa goldfields edible?

No

### Is Contra Costa goldfields toxic?

None

### What is Contra Costa goldfields's lifecycle?

Annual

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Contra Costa goldfields: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/contra-costa-goldfields)