The plant blooms from the bottom up, with flowers aging from yellow to red. There are often seed pods (curved at the tip containing two seeds) forming at the bottom of a branch with new buds opening at the top at the same time. The seed pods do not open, but fall to the ground or are dispersed by animals. They lie dormant until the next fire, the heat of which stimulates germination.
UCI Ecological Preserve, Irvine, CA 4-4-10. © Joan Avise

Common Deerweed
(California Broom)

Acmispon glaber

Fabaceae

Back to Fabaceae of Orange County, California
Back to Eudicots of Orange County, California
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San Onofre State Beach, Trail 1 and 2, 2-5-15. © Ron Vanderhoff.
var. brevialatus, Bear Cyn. Tr. to 4 Corners, etc., 3-26-15. © Ron Vanderhoff.

Upper leaves in triplets, El Moro Cyn., Crystal Cove State Beach, Laguna Beach, CA 3-22-08. © Joan Avise
Peter's Canyon Regional Park, Irvine, CA 4-29-07. © Joan Avise

Early blooms are yellow, UCI Ecological Preserve, Irvine, CA 4-4-10. © Joan Avise
Flowers age from yellow to red. Crystal Cove State Park, Orange County, CA. 3-21-09. © Joan Avise

Crystal Cove State Beach, Laguna Niguel, CA 3-21-09. © Joan Avise
In the second year after fire, Deerweed often dominates the landscape until the
plants are replaced by pre-fire species, 5-10 years after the fire. Limestone Canyon Wilderness Park, Orange Co., CA 6-4-11. © Joan Avise

Deerweed plays an important part in restoring nitrogen to the ecosystem (through nitrogen-fixing symbiosis) that is lost due to fire. 
Limestone Canyon Wilderness Park, Orange Co., CA 6-4-11. © Joan Avise
Can become dominant after fire. Limestone Canyon Wilderness Park, Orange Co., CA 6-4-11. © Joan Avise

var. brevialatus, Los Alamos & Wildhorse Cyn's., 3-5-15. © Ron Vanderhoff.
var. brevialatus, Los Alamos & Wildhorse Cyn's., 3-5-15. © Ron Vanderhoff.

var. brevialatus, Los Alamos & Wildhorse Cyn's., 3-5-15. © Ron Vanderhoff.
var. brevialatus, Bear Cyn. Tr. to 4 Corners, etc., 3-26-15. © Ron Vanderhoff.

Left: var. brevialatus; Right: var. glaber. Horsethief Trail & Trabuco Cyn. © Ron Vanderhoff. 		 

var. brevialatus, Long Canyon Road, .4 rd. mi W Hwy 74., 4-30-15. © Ron Vanderhoff.
Associated insects

Acmon Blue,
Plebejus acmon 		Bramble Hairstreak,
Callophrys perplexa
Silvery Blue,
Glaucopsyche lygdamus
Avalon Scrub Hairstreak,
Strymon avalona
Funereal Duskywing,
Erynnis funeralis