Wildflower (forb) · Brassicaceae

Sanddune wallflower

Erysimum capitatum · includes its varieties and subspecies

Sanddune wallflower is recorded as native to 19 states and territories in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in 415 counties of those states by USDA PLANTS.

Recorded native ranges can include long-established populations that spread from gardens; check your state’s native plant society list for local guidance. How native status is decided.

Key facts · USDA PLANTS

Sanddune wallflower at a glance

Native in: 415 counties, across 19 states and territories
Estimated cold hardiness: Zone 4b PLANTS minimum temperature −28°F
Mature height: 2.5 ft PLANTS mature height
Light and water: Full sun (shade-intolerant) Medium water use

Estimated cold hardiness: zone 4b. PLANTS gives a minimum temperature of −28°F; zone 4b winters bottom out at −25°F, the coldest half-zone that stays within that limit.

Counties where it is native

The 15 counties with the most ZIP codes among the 415 where it is listed.

Native counties by state

Arizona 13 counties
Arkansas 2 counties
California 51 counties
Colorado 57 counties
Idaho 35 counties
Illinois 9 counties
Indiana 6 counties
Missouri 13 counties
Montana 48 counties
Nevada 15 counties
New Mexico 25 counties
Ohio 3 counties
Oklahoma 16 counties
Oregon 32 counties
Tennessee 5 counties
Texas 10 counties
Utah 29 counties
Washington 23 counties
Wyoming 23 counties

Growing traits

Values from the PLANTS characteristics record of a variety (ERCAC). “Not recorded” means PLANTS has no value; nothing here is estimated except the zone.

Growth

Growth habit: Forb/herb, Subshrub
Duration: Biennial, Perennial
Mature height: 2.5 ft
Growth rate: Rapid
Growth form: Single Crown
Shape: Erect
Lifespan: Short
Active growth period: Spring and Summer

Light and water

Shade tolerance: Intolerant (full sun (shade-intolerant))
Moisture use: Medium water use
Drought tolerance: Medium
Tolerance of waterlogged soil: None
Precipitation range: 12 to 30 in per year

Soil

Soil textures: Coarse and medium
pH range: 6 to 8.5
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance: Medium
Salinity tolerance: Low
Fertility requirement: Low
Minimum root depth: 12 in

Climate

Minimum temperature: −28°F
Estimated cold hardiness: Zone 4b and warmer
Minimum frost-free days: 120
Fire tolerance: Medium

Flowers, leaves and fruit

Flower color: Yellow
Showy flowers: Yes
Bloom period: Mid Spring
Foliage color: Green
Showy in fall: No
Keeps leaves: No
Fruit color: Brown

Other

Toxicity: None
Nitrogen fixation: None
Nursery availability: Contracting Only
Family: Brassicaceae
PLANTS symbol: ERCA14

Source & data date

Source: USDA NRCS PLANTS Database: county distribution records, native status and plant characteristics. CC0 (public domain dedication, per the data.gov catalog record).; Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP): native or introduced status by state. CC BY 3.0.; USGS US-RIIS (ver. 2.0): species listed as introduced are excluded. CC0.
Citation: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (https://plants.usda.gov, 11/04/2026). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA.; Govaerts R. (ed.) (2026). WCVP: World Checklist of Vascular Plants. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Data file dated 2026-06-04, http://sftp.kew.org/pub/data-repositories/WCVP/ (retrieved 2026-11-04). Paper: Govaerts R. et al. (2021) The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. Scientific Data 8, 215.
Data date: Retrieved from PLANTS on November 4, 2026; WCVP data file dated June 4, 2026.
Scope: Erysimum capitatum (PLANTS symbol ERCA14), including 1 variety or subspecies folded into the species.
Method: A species is listed when it is recorded as native to the state in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in the county by USDA PLANTS. Species PLANTS labels both native and introduced are listed separately. Full method · All sources

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