# Ithuriel's Spear (*triteleia laxa*) Ithuriel's Spear (Triteleia laxa) is a delightful wildflower native to California and Oregon. Emerging in late spring, it lights up grassy meadows, open woodlands, and coastal scrub with its beautiful, starry clusters of purple-blue blossoms. Named after the angel Ithuriel in John Milton's Paradise Lost—whose spear could expose deceit with a touch—this plant stands upright and proud, bearing an umbrella-like cluster of funnel-shaped flowers on a slender, leafless stem. Historically, the small, starchy corms of this plant were a valuable food source for Native American tribes, who roasted or boiled them for a sweet, potato-like flavor. Today, it is highly valued by gardeners for its drought tolerance and its ability to attract vital native pollinators. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Typically found in grasslands, open oak woodlands, and chaparral habitats throughout California and southwestern Oregon, often growing in clay-heavy soils. ![Ithuriel's Spear](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/646571442/medium.jpg) Photo: CC0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/646571442) ## Appearance This herbaceous perennial features a tall, slender, leafless stalk rising 10 to 70 centimeters from an underground corm. At the top of the stalk sits a terminal, open, umbrella-like cluster of 10 to 40 funnel-shaped flowers. The blossoms range in color from pale violet-blue to deep purple, and occasionally white, each featuring six tepals with visible darker mid-veins running down the center. Its leaves are long, narrow, and grass-like, usually numbering only one or two, which often wither by the time the plant begins to bloom, leaving the starburst of flowers standing solo. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Liliopsida - **Order:** Asparagales - **Family:** Asparagaceae - **Genus:** Triteleia ## Interesting facts - Indigenous peoples of California, such as the Miwok and Maidu, historically harvested the underground corms, cooking them in earth ovens to yield a sweet, nutritious food source. - Its long-lasting blooms and sturdy stems make it an exceptional cut flower, often lasting over a week in a vase. - The common name 'Ithuriel's Spear' is a reference to the angel Ithuriel from John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost. ## Special abilities - **Fire-Resilient Corms:** The plant stores energy in underground corms that are protected from wildfires, allowing it to quickly resprout and bloom abundantly in post-burn environments. - **Drought-Induced Dormancy:** To survive the hot, dry Mediterranean summers of its native range, it dies back completely to the ground, conserving water and energy until the autumn rains return. - **Pollinator Magnetism:** The bright purple-blue, tubular blossoms are shaped perfectly to guide long-tongued bees and butterflies, ensuring highly efficient pollination. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 10-70 cm - **Lifespan:** 3-10 years ## Diet & Feeding As a photosynthetic plant, it generates its own food using sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide, while absorbing essential minerals from the soil. - **Primary Foods:** Sunlight, Water, Carbon dioxide, Soil nutrients ## Ecological connections - **Mutualism:** [Yellow-faced Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellow-faced-bumble-bee) (*Bombus vosnesenskii*) — Visited by bumble bees for nectar and pollen, aiding in pollination. - **Eaten by:** Black-tailed Deer (*Odocoileus hemionus columbianus*) — The young foliage and emerging flowering stems are occasionally grazed by deer. - **Eaten by:** [Botta's Pocket Gopher](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bottas-pocket-gopher) (*Thomomys bottae*) — Gophers burrow underground and consume the nutrient-rich starch-filled corms. ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Ithuriel's Spear? 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 long is Ithuriel's Spear? 10-70 cm ### How long does Ithuriel's Spear live? 3-10 years ### What does Ithuriel's Spear eat? As a photosynthetic plant, it generates its own food using sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide, while absorbing essential minerals from the soil. ### Where is Ithuriel's Spear usually found? Typically found in grasslands, open oak woodlands, and chaparral habitats throughout California and southwestern Oregon, often growing in clay-heavy soils. ## Where to spot - [San Joaquin Experimental Range](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/san-joaquin-experimental-range) — California, US · Forest - [Old Borges Ranch](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/old-borges-ranch) — California, US · Historic Site - [Putah Creek State Wildlife Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/putah-creek-state-wildlife-area) — California, US · Nature Reserve [View all places to see Ithuriel's Spear](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/ithuriels-spear) ## 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*) --- Source: [Ithuriel's Spear: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ithuriels-spear)