Anthemis cotula

Mayweed, Mayweed

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Not Native

Mayweed is a naturalized annual herb found in northwestern California, Sierra Nevada, Central Valley, central and southern coastal California, Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, and Mojave Desert in disturbed areas, fields, coastal dunes, chaparral, and oak woodlands at elevations below 2,600 meters. Flowering from April to August, this plant produces white ray flowers with yellow disk centers in heads 5 to 11 millimeters wide. Growing with strongly scented erect stems up to 60 to 90 centimeters tall that are slightly puberulent and dotted with resin glands, it spreads quickly in open ground. Its finely divided leaves are 10 to 55 millimeters long with thread-like lobes, creating a delicate, lacy appearance. The small fruits are 1.3 to 2 millimeters long, lacking a pappus.

Habitat: Common. Disturbed areas, fields, coastal dunes, chaparral, oak woodland

Bloom period: Apr-Aug

Elevation: < 2600 m

Bioregions: NW, SN, GV, CW, SCo, TR, PR, MP

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