Antennaria geyeri
Geyer's pussytoes
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Antennaria geyeri (Geyer's pussytoes) is a native California subshrub in the Asteraceae family, recognized by unique cauline-only leaves and pink-red phyllary tips.
Geyer's pussytoes is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, northern Sierra Nevada, and Modoc Plateau in dry, open woodland and scrub at elevations of 900 to 2,400 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces white flower heads with pink to red-tipped phyllaries, creating delicate clusters 3 to 25 heads long. Growing with short woody stems 3 to 14 centimeters tall that spread via branching, it forms low, compact clusters across alpine and woodland landscapes. Its lance-linear leaves are approximately 11 to 35 millimeters long, distinctively covered in a gray-tomentose (felt-like) texture that gives the plant a soft, silvery appearance. The plant's tiny fruits are 2 to 2.5 millimeters long and covered in fine hairs, contributing to its delicate and intricate botanical structure.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 16 sympatric species - unique cauline-only leaves and pink-red phyllary tips
Habitat and range
Habitat: Dry, open woodland, scrub
Elevation: 900-2400 m
Outside California: to Washington, Nevada
Bloom period
Antennaria geyeri blooms Jun-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Pseudognaphalium: Antennaria forms low cushions with persistent basal rosettes; Pseudognaphalium grows erect to 200 cm without basal rosettes.; vs Eriogonum: Antennaria has papery-bracted flower heads in the Asteraceae; Eriogonum has showy flowers with papery bracts in the buckwheat family.; vs Anaphalis: Antennaria maintains its basal leaf rosette during flowering; Anaphalis has withered basal leaves with longer, uniform stem leaves.; vs Centaurea: Antennaria has tiny woolly heads (3-9mm) in low cushions; Centaurea has much larger flower heads (15-40mm) on tall stems.; vs Petrophytum: Antennaria has papery-bracted flower heads; Petrophytum has dense spikes of small rose-family flowers with 5 separate petals.
Frequently asked questions
Is Antennaria geyeri native to California?
Yes. Antennaria geyeri is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Antennaria geyeri bloom?
Antennaria geyeri blooms Jun-Aug.
What plant family does Antennaria geyeri belong to?
Antennaria geyeri is in the Asteraceae family, genus Antennaria.
What habitat does Antennaria geyeri grow in?
Antennaria geyeri grows in Dry, open woodland, scrub.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.