Centaurea cineraria
Dusty miller
(c) Murray NZ, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Murray NZ · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Centaurea cineraria (Dusty miller) is a non-native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by densely gray-tomentose appearance and coastal habitat.
Dusty miller is a naturalized perennial herb found in coastal areas of California including the Central Coast, Southern Coast, and Channel Islands in disturbed areas and coastal scrub at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces distinctive purple flowers in radiant heads with straw-colored to black fringed phyllary tips. Growing 30 to 90 centimeters tall with multiple branching stems emerging from a woody base, it is densely covered in gray tomentose (felt-like) hair. Its leaves range from 5 to 25 centimeters long on the lower stems, shallowly lobed or deeply dissected, with upper leaves becoming progressively narrower and less divided. The plant's fruit is approximately 3.5 millimeters long, tan-colored and lightly hairy with short white pappus bristles.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 9 sympatric species; densely gray-tomentose appearance and coastal habitat are diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed areas, coastal scrub
Elevation: < 100 m
Outside California: native to Italy
Bloom period
Centaurea cineraria blooms May-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Cirsium: Cirsium bracts taper to simple spines; Centaurea bract tips expanded with fringed/toothed edges; vs Carduus: Carduus bracts spine-tipped but not fringed; Centaurea bract appendages distinctly fringed or toothed; vs Jacobaea: Jacobaea has obvious yellow ray flowers; Centaurea lacks true rays (all tubular flowers); vs Silybum: Silybum has white-veined leaves and simple spine-tipped bracts; Centaurea bracts ornately fringed; vs Eriophorum: Eriophorum is a sedge with grass-like leaves and cottony heads; Centaurea is a branched herb
Frequently asked questions
Is Centaurea cineraria native to California?
No. Centaurea cineraria is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Centaurea cineraria bloom?
Centaurea cineraria blooms May-Sep.
What plant family does Centaurea cineraria belong to?
Centaurea cineraria is in the Asteraceae family, genus Centaurea.
What habitat does Centaurea cineraria grow in?
Centaurea cineraria grows in Disturbed areas, coastal scrub.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.