Eriastrum harwoodii
Harwood's woolly-star
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Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2
Eriastrum harwoodii (Harwood's woolly-star) is a native California herb in the Polemoniaceae family, recognized by yellow-green foliage and cream flowers with pointed tips.
Harwood's woolly-star is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native annual found in the Mojave Desert and northern Colorado Desert in semi-stabilized dunes, sand ramps, and sandy hummocks at edges of dry lake beds at elevations of 130 to 1,600 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces white to pale yellow flowers with yellow throats in small heads, each bloom narrowly funnel-shaped and approximately 6 to 8 millimeters long. Growing with delicate erect stems up to 20 centimeters tall that are initially woolly and become more smooth with age, it has a distinctive appearance. Its leaves are thread-like to linear, 5 to 35 millimeters long, yellow-green to gray-green, and densely woolly, sometimes with 3 to 5 lobes near the base. The fruit is a tan capsule about 3.6 to 4.7 millimeters long, typically containing 2 to 3 light gray-brown seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 11 sympatric species; yellow-green foliage and cream flowers with pointed tips
Habitat and range
Habitat: Semi-stabilized dunes, sand ramps, sandy hummocks at edges of dry lake beds, desert scrub
Elevation: 130-1600 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego
Bloom period
Eriastrum harwoodii blooms Mar-May.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.2
How to tell it apart
vs Navarretia: Eriastrum has fluffy white woolly hairs; Navarretia has spine-tipped bracts and leaves without woolly hairs.; vs Gilia: Eriastrum flower clusters are densely woolly-hairy; Gilia flower clusters lack woolly hairs.; vs Loeseliastrum: Eriastrum has woolly tufted hairs and radial flowers; Loeseliastrum has simple hairs and bilateral flowers.; vs Langloisia: Eriastrum has woolly tufted white hairs; Langloisia has stiff branched bristly hairs.; vs Petalonyx: Eriastrum has opposite lobed leaves in Polemoniaceae; Petalonyx has alternate simple leaves in Loasaceae.
Frequently asked questions
Is Eriastrum harwoodii native to California?
Yes. Eriastrum harwoodii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Eriastrum harwoodii bloom?
Eriastrum harwoodii blooms Mar-May.
Where in California does Eriastrum harwoodii grow?
Eriastrum harwoodii occurs in San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, at elevations of 130-1600 m.
What plant family does Eriastrum harwoodii belong to?
Eriastrum harwoodii is in the Polemoniaceae family, genus Eriastrum.
Is Eriastrum harwoodii rare or endangered?
Eriastrum harwoodii carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.2, state rank S2.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Eriastrum hooveri — Hoover's woolly-star
- Eriastrum luteum — Yellow woolly-star
- Eriastrum pluriflorum — Many-flowered woolly-star
- Eriastrum pluriflorum subsp. albifaux — White-throated woolly-star
- Eriastrum pluriflorum subsp. pluriflorum — Many-flowered woolly-star
- Eriastrum pluriflorum subsp. sherman-hoytae — Mrs. hoyt's woolly-star
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.