Eriophyllum staechadifolium
Seaside woolly sunflower, Seaside Woolly Sunflower
(c) DeeF, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by DeeF · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Eriophyllum staechadifolium (Seaside woolly sunflower) is a native California shrub in the Asteraceae family, recognized by strictly coastal habitat and variable leaf dissection.
Seaside woolly sunflower is a California native shrub found in northern coastal, central coastal, and northern Channel Islands bioregions in coastal dunes, sea bluffs, and coastal scrub at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from April to September, this plant produces yellow daisy-like flower heads with 6 to 9 ray flowers 3 to 5 millimeters long. Growing 3 to 15 decimeters tall with much-branched stems that become glabrous with age, it develops an open, spreading form. Its leaves are 3 to 7 centimeters long, lanceolate to ovate, with margins rolled under and ranging from entire to slightly pinnately compound. The fruit is 3 to 4 millimeters long, linear-oblong, and slightly glandular and bristly.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 4 sympatric species; strictly coastal habitat and variable leaf dissection are diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Dunes, sea bluffs, coastal scrub
Elevation: < 100 m
Outside California: southern Oregon
Bloom period
Eriophyllum staechadifolium blooms Apr-Sep.
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 staechadifolium native to California?
Yes. Eriophyllum staechadifolium is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Eriophyllum staechadifolium bloom?
Eriophyllum staechadifolium blooms Apr-Sep.
What plant family does Eriophyllum staechadifolium belong to?
Eriophyllum staechadifolium is in the Asteraceae family, genus Eriophyllum.
What habitat does Eriophyllum staechadifolium grow in?
Eriophyllum staechadifolium grows in Dunes, sea bluffs, coastal scrub.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Eriophyllum wallacei — Wallace's woolly daisy
- Eriophyllum ambiguum — Annual woolly sunflower
- Eriophyllum ambiguum var. ambiguum — Beautiful woolly sunflower
- Eriophyllum ambiguum var. paleaceum — Annual woolly sunflower
- Eriophyllum confertiflorum — Golden-yarrow
- Eriophyllum confertiflorum var. confertiflorum — Golden yarrow
- Euchiton gymnocephalus — Creeping cudweed
- Euchiton involucratus — Star cottonleaf
- Euchiton sp. — Cottonleaf
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-06
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.