Flower profile

Chia

Salvia columbariae

Native in the lower 48

Chia is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in February–May.

5states

2of our state lists

19,127U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Arizona, California

Quick look

Salvia columbariae is an annual plant that is commonly called chia, chia sage, golden chia, or desert chia, because its seeds are used in the same way as those of Salvia hispanica (chia). It grows in California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Sonora, and Baja California, and is an important food for Native Americans. Some native names include pashiiy from Tongva and it'epeš from Ventureño.
From Wikipedia's article Salvia columbariae, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Lamiaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 5 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to California and Arizona. ^NatureServe
In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–May. ^iNaturalist
In Arizona, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–April. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 17,437 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #33 among the 110 flowers on our California list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,339 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #73 among the 109 flowers on our Arizona list. ^iNaturalist

Chia gift ideas

Handmade chia gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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Chia art print
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Chia greeting card
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Chia mug
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Chia earrings
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Chia embroidery pattern
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Chia sticker
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (4,306 records)

Bloom time in each of our 2 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
California	Native	February–May	17,437
Arizona	Native	February–April	1,339

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
California: Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in California. ^{CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)}
Arizona: Not listed Not on Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Arizona. ^{AAC R3-3 App. A}
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list. For context only: ASPCA lists a related species, Salvia coccinea (“Scarlet Sage”), as non-toxic to dogs and cats. That doesn't tell us about this species, so keep pets away to be safe. ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records chia in 5 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah.

California counties with USDA records: Alameda, Butte, Colusa, Contra Costa, Fresno, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Lake, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Orange, Riverside, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura.

Arizona counties with USDA records: Cochise, Gila, Graham, Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, Pinal, Yavapai.