Gamochaeta pensylvanica
Pennsylvania everlasting
(c) Harry Rose, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Gamochaeta pensylvanica (Pennsylvania everlasting) is a non-native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by bracts surpassing flower clusters.
Pennsylvania everlasting is a naturalized annual found in southern San Joaquin Valley, central and southern Coast, Transverse, and Peninsular Ranges in disturbed areas at elevations below 650 meters. Flowering from March to July, this plant produces white flowers in dense clusters 10 to 15 millimeters wide when pressed. Growing with decumbent to erect stems 10 to 50 centimeters tall that are loosely cobwebby-tomentose, it forms a taproot. Its leaves range from spoon-shaped to oblanceolate-obovate, 2 to 7 centimeters long with wavy margins, becoming smaller up the stem and often abruptly pointed. The flower heads have phyllaries with inner series that are often proximally purple-tinged and distally transparent, with pistillate and disk flowers showing subtle purple-tipped corollas.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 4 sympatric species; key feature is bracts surpassing flower clusters
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed areas
Elevation: < 650 m
Outside California: widely naturalized worldwide, native(?) to South America
Bloom period
Gamochaeta pensylvanica blooms Mar-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Pseudognaphalium: Gamochaeta has tight spike-like flower clusters; Pseudognaphalium has open, branched clusters spreading at the stem tips.; vs Gnaphalium: Gamochaeta forms erect spikes of densely clustered heads; Gnaphalium has prostrate stems with looser, sessile flower clusters.; vs Logfia: Gamochaeta has visible flower heads in narrow spikes; Logfia has heads completely hidden within dense woolly leaf clusters.; vs Stachys: Gamochaeta has spike-like clusters of papery flower heads; Stachys has whorls of tubular lipped mint flowers on square stems.; vs Corethrogyne: Gamochaeta has tiny woolly heads in tight spikes without ray petals; Corethrogyne has obvious white or purple ray petals around each head.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gamochaeta pensylvanica native to California?
No. Gamochaeta pensylvanica is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Gamochaeta pensylvanica bloom?
Gamochaeta pensylvanica blooms Mar-Jul.
What plant family does Gamochaeta pensylvanica belong to?
Gamochaeta pensylvanica is in the Asteraceae family, genus Gamochaeta.
What habitat does Gamochaeta pensylvanica grow in?
Gamochaeta pensylvanica grows in Disturbed areas.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.