Arnica longifolia

Spearleaf arnica, Spearleaf Arnica

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Spearleaf arnica is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, southern North Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, and Great Basin in wet meadows, late snow-melt areas, and open conifer forests at elevations of 1,300 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from July to August, this plant produces yellow ray flowers 10 to 20 millimeters long with radiate heads in clusters of 3 to 20. Growing 30 to 60 centimeters tall with clustered stems that often form large patches, it emerges from a caudex-like rhizome and is slightly sticky and short-hairy. Its leaves are primarily cauline with 5 to 7 pairs, often with the proximal pairs fused around the stem, featuring lanceolate blades 5 to 12 centimeters long that are nearly entire. The plant produces fruits 3 to 7 millimeters long with a yellow-brown to brown pappus that is short-barbed or nearly plumose.

Habitat: Generally wet meadows, late snow-melt areas, or open conifer forest

Bloom period: Jul-Aug

Elevation: 1300-3500 m

Bioregions: KR, s NCoRH, CaRH, SNH, GB

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