Chaenactis suffrutescens
Shasta chaenactis; shasta pincushion, Shasta Chaenactis; Shasta Pincushion
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Matt Berger · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3
Chaenactis suffrutescens (Shasta chaenactis; shasta pincushion) is a native California subshrub in the Asteraceae family, recognized by shrubby form and large flowers/bracts.
Shasta chaenactis is a rare California native shrub ranked 1B.3 by CNPS, found in the eastern Klamath Ranges on unstable, serpentine soils and rocky drainages at elevations of 700 to 2,300 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces white to pale pink flowers in small clusters with heads 14 to 18 millimeters long. Growing as a subshrub 25 to 45 centimeters tall with multiple stems and white felty hairs, it forms dense clusters in harsh mountain environments. Its leaves are pinnately lobed, typically 5 to 10 centimeters long, with 2 to 5 pairs of relatively flat leaf lobes that have distinctive gland-pitted undersides. The fruit features a pappus of 10 to 16 scales arranged in 3 to 4 nearly equal series, with the longest scales measuring 7 to 9 millimeters.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species; key features are shrubby form and large flowers/bracts
Habitat and range
Habitat: Unstable, sandy to rocky, generally serpentine soils, scree, drainages
Elevation: 700-2300 m
Bloom period
Chaenactis suffrutescens blooms May-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.3
How to tell it apart
vs Eriophyllum: Eriophyllum has obvious yellow ray flowers; Chaenactis completely lacks rays; vs Lasthenia: Lasthenia has bright yellow rays; Chaenactis rayless with white/purple tubular flowers only; vs Malacothrix: Malacothrix has all strap-shaped flowers and milky sap; Chaenactis all tubular, clear sap; vs Eriogonum: Eriogonum flowers have 6 segments in ball-like clusters; Chaenactis typical composite heads; vs Uropappus: Uropappus has all strap-shaped yellow flowers; Chaenactis all tubular white/purple flowers
Frequently asked questions
Is Chaenactis suffrutescens native to California?
Yes. Chaenactis suffrutescens is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Chaenactis suffrutescens bloom?
Chaenactis suffrutescens blooms May-Aug.
What plant family does Chaenactis suffrutescens belong to?
Chaenactis suffrutescens is in the Asteraceae family, genus Chaenactis.
Is Chaenactis suffrutescens rare or endangered?
Chaenactis suffrutescens carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.3, state rank S2S3.
What habitat does Chaenactis suffrutescens grow in?
Chaenactis suffrutescens grows in Unstable, sandy to rocky, generally serpentine soils, scree, drainages.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Chaenactis xantiana — Fleshy pincushion
- Chaenactis alpigena — Sharsmith pincushion
- Chaenactis artemisiifolia — White pincushion
- Chaenactis carphoclinia — Pebble pincushion
- Chaenactis carphoclinia var. carphoclinia — Pebble pincushion
- Chaenactis carphoclinia var. peirsonii — Peirson's pincushion
- Chaetadelpha sp.
- Chaetadelpha wheeleri — Wheeler's dune-broom
- Chaetopappa ericoides — Rose-heath
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.