Taxon Report

Boechera hoffmannii (Munz) Al-Shehbaz

Hoffmann's rockcress

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Boechera hoffmannii, commonly known as Hoffmann's rockcress, is a perennial herb in the Brassicaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral, Coastal bluff scrub, and Coastal scrub, growing at elevations from 60 to 395 meters. Boechera hoffmannii is ranked 1B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Boechera hoffmannii (Munz) Al-Shehbaz
Common Name:	Hoffmann's rockcress
Family:	Brassicaceae
Element Code:	PDBRA060V0
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:	Arabis hoffmannii

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Feb-Apr	Feb-Apr
Elevation:	60-395 (195-1295)
General Habitats:	Chaparral, Coastal bluff scrub, Coastal scrub
Microhabitat:	Rocky, Sandy, Volcanic
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.1
Global Rank:	G1G2
State Rank:	S1S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	FE
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	7
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	2
Fair (C)	1
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	4

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Santa Barbara (SBA), Ventura (VEN)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Anacapa Island (3311983)*, Santa Cruz Island B (3311986), Santa Cruz Island C (3311985), Santa Rosa Island East (3311988), Santa Rosa Island North (3312081)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	3
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	3	43 %
Erosion/runoff	3	42%
Grazing	1	14%
Non-native plant impacts	1	14%

Notes



Rediscovered independently in 1985 by T. Hesseldenz and S. Junak on SCZ Isl. Population extent and size increasing since nonnative grazing mammals and feral pigs removed from the island.
Threats:
Possibly threatened by erosion and non-native plants. Formerly threatened by feral herbivores.
Taxonomy:
See Rhodora 43(511):407 (1941) for taxonomic treatment and Novon 13(4):381-391 (2003) for revised nomenclature.

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2026. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 28 May 2026].