Helianthus californicus
California sunflower
Family Asteraceae
About
California sunflower is a tall, rhizomatous perennial of moist open places in California and northern Baja California, valued as a late-season nectar plant.
Care at a glance
- Pet safety
- Not recorded. We have no source on whether this plant is safe for cats, dogs or other pets — that is not the same as safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked.
- People
- Not recorded.
- Light
- Full sun gives the most flowers; partial shade is tolerated. General guidance for the genus
- Propagation
- Seed or stem cuttings. General guidance for the genus
- Mature size
- 1–3 m tall, spreading into colonies by rhizomes.
“General guidance for the genus” marks advice sourced for the genus as a whole rather than this species.
Field notes
Morphology
A lanky perennial 1–3 m tall from woody roots with small rhizomes. Leaves are lance-shaped, up to 20 cm. Heads have 15–25 golden rays 2–3 cm long around yellow and brown disc florets, backed by long pointed bracts that bend back with age.
Distribution & habitat
From Del Norte to San Diego County and into the Sierra Nevada foothills below about 1,600 m, reaching northern Baja California. It forms colonies in grassland, riparian areas and coastal foothills, often in moist ground.
Ecology
Flowers July to October, after most natives have finished, feeding bees and butterflies; birds and other wildlife eat the seeds.
Conservation
Assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- United States, Mexico
- IUCN status
- Least concern
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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