Ericameria paniculata
Black-banded rabbitbrush
(c) Stan Shebs, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Ericameria paniculata (Black-banded rabbitbrush) is a native California shrub in the Asteraceae family, recognized by black-banded stems.
Black-banded rabbitbrush is a California native shrub found in western desert and Inyo Mountains regions in gravelly washes at elevations of 400 to 1,600 meters. Flowering from June to December, this plant produces yellow flowers in dense panicle-like clusters with distinctive black-banded stems. Growing 5 to 18 decimeters tall with erect, clustered stems that are glabrous and resinous, it has a distinctive appearance in its native habitat. Its leaves are thread-like, 10 to 35 millimeters long, light green, and grooved with gland-dotted surfaces. The fruit is 3.5 to 4.5 millimeters long and covered in fine hairs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 20 sympatric species; black-banded stems are diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Gravelly washes
Elevation: 400-1600 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo, Kern, Riverside, San Diego, Mono
Outside California: to southwestern Utah, northwestern Arizona
Bloom period
Ericameria paniculata blooms Jun-Dec.
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 paniculata native to California?
Yes. Ericameria paniculata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Ericameria paniculata bloom?
Ericameria paniculata blooms Jun-Dec.
Where in California does Ericameria paniculata grow?
Ericameria paniculata occurs in San Bernardino, Inyo, Kern, Riverside, San Diego, Mono, at elevations of 400-1600 m.
What plant family does Ericameria paniculata belong to?
Ericameria paniculata is in the Asteraceae family, genus Ericameria.
What habitat does Ericameria paniculata grow in?
Ericameria paniculata grows in Common. Gravelly washes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
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.