Ericameria nauseosa var. bernardina
Bernardina rabbitbrush
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Ericameria nauseosa var. bernardina (Bernardina rabbitbrush) is a native California shrub in the Asteraceae family, recognized by leafy at flowering with large corollas.
Bernardina rabbitbrush is a California native shrub found in southern Sierra Nevada, Transverse Ranges, northern Peninsular Ranges (including San Jacinto), and White and Inyo Mountains in open yellow-pine forest at elevations of 1,200 to 3,000 meters. Flowering from August to October, this plant produces yellow flowers in heads with ascending to spreading corolla lobes. Growing 50 to 150 centimeters tall with closely tomentose stems that transition from yellow-green to white-tomentose, it develops a distinctive woolly appearance. Its leaves are 25 to 60 millimeters long, narrowly lanceolate, and densely clustered along the stem. The plant's involucre ranges from 10 to 14 millimeters long, with variable hairiness.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 26 sympatric species; leafy at flowering with large corollas
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open yellow-pine forest
Elevation: 1200-3000 m
California counties: Los Angeles, Inyo, Kern, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Mariposa, San Diego, Plumas
Outside California: northern Baja California
Bloom period
Ericameria nauseosa var. bernardina blooms Aug-Oct.
How to tell it apart
vs Isocoma: Ericameria has bracts in 5 vertical rows; Isocoma has randomly arranged bracts.; vs Chrysothamnus: Ericameria has woolly young stems and deep pitted glands; Chrysothamnus has smooth/slightly fuzzy stems and surface glands or none.; vs Baccharis: Ericameria has yellow bisexual flowers in each head; Baccharis has separate male/female plants with whitish flowers.; vs Artemisia: Ericameria has yellow flowers and gland-dotted leaves; Artemisia has greenish flowers and aromatic gray-hairy leaves.; vs Lepidospartum: Ericameria has small narrow leaves; Lepidospartum has scale-like leaves on green rush-like stems.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ericameria nauseosa var. bernardina native to California?
Yes. Ericameria nauseosa var. bernardina is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Ericameria nauseosa var. bernardina bloom?
Ericameria nauseosa var. bernardina blooms Aug-Oct.
Where in California does Ericameria nauseosa var. bernardina grow?
Ericameria nauseosa var. bernardina occurs in Los Angeles, Inyo, Kern, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Mariposa, San Diego and other counties, at elevations of 1200-3000 m.
What plant family does Ericameria nauseosa var. bernardina belong to?
Ericameria nauseosa var. bernardina is in the Asteraceae family, genus Ericameria.
What habitat does Ericameria nauseosa var. bernardina grow in?
Ericameria nauseosa var. bernardina grows in Open yellow-pine forest.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Ericameria nauseosa var. ceruminosa — Desert rabbitbrush
- Ericameria nauseosa var. hololeuca — White rabbitbrush
- Ericameria nauseosa var. leiosperma — Smooth-fruit rabbitbrush
- Ericameria nauseosa var. mohavensis — Mojave rabbitbrush
- Ericameria nauseosa var. oreophila — Great basin rabbitbrush
- Ericameria nauseosa var. speciosa — Showy rabbitbrush
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
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.