Eriophyllum lanosum
White easter bonnets
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Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Eriophyllum lanosum (White easter bonnets) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by white ray flowers are completely diagnostic among California Eriophyllum.
White easter bonnets is a California native annual found in desert regions at elevations of 70 to 1,400 meters. Flowering from February to May, this plant produces white flowers occasionally red-veined, with ray flowers 3 to 7 millimeters long arranged in solitary heads. Growing with decumbent to ascending stems 1 to 15 centimeters tall, often tinged reddish and sparsely woolly. Its leaves are linear to oblanceolate, 5 to 20 millimeters long, with entire margins or occasionally lobed at the tip. The fruit is 2.5 to 4.5 millimeters long, linear or narrowly club-shaped.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species; white ray flowers are completely diagnostic among California Eriophyllum
Habitat and range
Habitat: Desert scrub
Elevation: 70-1400 m
Outside California: to southwestern Utah, New Mexico, northwestern Mexico
Bloom period
Eriophyllum lanosum blooms Feb-May.
How to tell it apart
vs Achillea: Eriophyllum has woolly leaves; Achillea has feathery fern-like leaves and flat-topped white/pink flower clusters.; vs Lasthenia: Eriophyllum has densely woolly leaves; Lasthenia has smooth or sparsely hairy leaves.; vs Monolopia: Eriophyllum rays fall off cleanly; Monolopia rays have a small opposite lobe at base.; vs Artemisia: Eriophyllum has yellow ray flowers; Artemisia has tiny rayless heads and aromatic silver-gray foliage.; vs Pseudognaphalium: Eriophyllum has yellow ray petals; Pseudognaphalium has white/cream rayless everlasting flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Eriophyllum lanosum native to California?
Yes. Eriophyllum lanosum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Eriophyllum lanosum bloom?
Eriophyllum lanosum blooms Feb-May.
What plant family does Eriophyllum lanosum belong to?
Eriophyllum lanosum is in the Asteraceae family, genus Eriophyllum.
What habitat does Eriophyllum lanosum grow in?
Eriophyllum lanosum grows in Desert scrub.
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.