Dieteria canescens var. leucanthemifolia

Hoary aster

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Hoary aster is a California native perennial herb found in the eastern Peninsular Ranges, eastern Sierra Nevada, and Mojave Desert in desert scrub habitats at elevations of 750 to 2,000 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces white ray flowers in heads 6 to 12 millimeters long, expanding to 15 millimeters when pressed. Growing 1 to 5 decimeters tall with spreading to erect stems that branch loosely and ascend upward, it forms an open, somewhat delicate structure. Its leaves and stems are typically covered in a grayish pubescence, giving the plant its "hoary" characteristic. The fertile ray flowers have well-developed styles, creating distinctive daisy-like flower heads typical of aster species.

Habitat: Desert scrub

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: 750-2000 m

Bioregions: e PR, SNE, DMoj

California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo, Mono, Ventura, Tulare, Kern, San Diego

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