Acamptopappus sphaerocephalus var. hirtellus

Hairy goldenhead

Family: Asteraceae · Type: shrub · Native

Hairy goldenhead is a California native shrub found in the Tehachapi Mountains, southern Gabilan Range, San Bernardino Mountains, Peninsular Ranges, Sierra Nevada Eastern Slope, and Mojave Desert in gravelly or rocky soils within juniper woodland at elevations below 1,750 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces yellow flowers in compact, spherical heads that give it its distinctive appearance. Growing up to 6 meters tall with densely rough-textured stems, it forms a compact and sturdy shrubby structure. Its leaves are characterized by densely rough-puberulent surfaces, creating a textured and soft-looking foliage that helps distinguish this goldenhead from other similar species.

Habitat: Gravelly or rocky soils, flats or slopes, juniper woodland

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: < 1750 m

Bioregions: Teh, SnGb, SnBr, PR, SNE, DMoj

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.