Encelia farinosa × Encelia frutescens
Family: Cupressaceae · Type: Shrub
Encelia farinosa × Encelia frutescens is a California shrub in the Cupressaceae family, recognized by hybrid characteristics variable between parents.
Encelia hybrid is a shrub found in desert washes, disturbed places, and roadsides at elevations below 800 meters. Flowering from February to May, this plant produces yellow disk flowers with white ray flowers 5 to 20 millimeters long in small clustered heads. Growing 50 to 120 centimeters tall with few to many branches from one or several short trunks, it develops rough bark on older stems and remains hairy when young. Its scattered leaves are elliptic to narrowly ovate, 10 to 50 millimeters long, with a gray-green color and light tomentose texture covered with strigose hairs. The plant is a spontaneous hybrid between two Encelia species, creating a distinctive desert shrub with variable characteristics.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; hybrid characteristics variable between parents
Habitat and range
Habitat: Roadsides, disturbed places, desert washes, flats
Elevation: < 800 m
Outside California: western Arizona, northern Baja California
Bloom period
Encelia farinosa × Encelia frutescens blooms Feb-May.
How to tell it apart
vs Helianthus: Woody shrub with permanent stems vs. soft-stemmed annual/perennial herb.; vs Salvia: Yellow daisy flowers in Asteraceae vs. tubular flowers with two lips in mint family.; vs Bahiopsis: Generally coastal/desert scrub habitat vs. more restricted range in Bahiopsis.; vs Verbesina: Woody shrub form vs. herbaceous in Verbesina.; vs Geraea: Woody perennial shrub vs. annual herb in desert dandelion (Geraea).
Frequently asked questions
When does Encelia farinosa × Encelia frutescens bloom?
Encelia farinosa × Encelia frutescens blooms Feb-May.
What plant family does Encelia farinosa × Encelia frutescens belong to?
Encelia farinosa × Encelia frutescens is in the Cupressaceae family, genus Encelia.
What habitat does Encelia farinosa × Encelia frutescens grow in?
Encelia farinosa × Encelia frutescens grows in Roadsides, disturbed places, desert washes, flats.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Encelia farinosa var. farinosa
- Encelia farinosa var. phenicodonta
- Encelia frutescens — Bush encelia
- Encelia sp.
- Encelia virginensis — Encelia
- Encelia actoni — Acton encelia
- Hesperocyparis abramsiana — Santa cruz cypress
- Hesperocyparis abramsiana var. abramsiana — Santa Cruz Cypress
- Hesperocyparis abramsiana var. butanoensis — Santa Cruz Cypress
- Hesperocyparis bakeri — Baker cypress
Sources: Jepson eFlora
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.