Crepis occidentalis subsp. costata

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Western hawksbeard is a California native perennial found in the northern Sierra Nevada Mountains and Modoc Plateau in rocky hillsides and oak/juniper woodland at elevations of 1,200 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from June to July, this plant produces yellow flowers in clusters of 15 to 30 heads with distinctive stalked-glandular phyllaries. Growing with stems 8 to 40 centimeters tall that are tomentose and slightly glandular, it develops a robust but compact form. Its leaves span 5 to 20 centimeters with pinnately lobed edges, each lobe dentate and creating a textured appearance. The fruit develops a golden brown color, adding visual interest to the plant's delicate flowering structure.

Habitat: Rocky hillsides, oak/juniper woodland

Bloom period: Jun-Jul

Elevation: 1200-2500 m

Bioregions: CaRH, n SNH, MP

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