Ericameria parryi var. aspera
Rough rabbitbrush, Rough Rabbitbrush
(c) Tim Messick, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Ericameria parryi var. aspera (Rough rabbitbrush) is a native California shrub in the Asteraceae family, recognized by rough scabrous texture diagnostic.
Rough rabbitbrush is a California native shrub found in central Sierra Nevada Mountains, San Bernardino Mountains, eastern Sierra Nevada, and desert mountains in dry forest to alpine barrens at elevations of 1,900 to 3,300 meters. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces yellow flowers in dense heads 4 to 10 millimeters long with phyllaries that range from white to straw-colored or purplish. Growing with erect to spreading stems 15 to 70 centimeters tall, the plant has white to greenish branches. Its leaves are 15 to 50 millimeters long, straight or curved, ranging from gray to green, with the uppermost leaves often extending beyond the flower heads. The shrub typically grows in gravelly or pumice-rich terrain, with short-stalked glands on its foliage.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 22 sympatric species; rough scabrous texture diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: dry forest to alpine barrens, often in pumice or gravel
Elevation: 1900-3300 m
Outside California: Nevada
Bloom period
Ericameria parryi var. aspera blooms Jul-Sep.
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 parryi var. aspera native to California?
Yes. Ericameria parryi var. aspera is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Ericameria parryi var. aspera bloom?
Ericameria parryi var. aspera blooms Jul-Sep.
What plant family does Ericameria parryi var. aspera belong to?
Ericameria parryi var. aspera is in the Asteraceae family, genus Ericameria.
What habitat does Ericameria parryi var. aspera grow in?
Ericameria parryi var. aspera grows in dry forest to alpine barrens, often in pumice or gravel.
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.