Geraea viscida
Sticky geraea, Sticky Geraea
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 2B.2
Geraea viscida (Sticky geraea) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by discoid heads and sticky glandular herbage distinctive.
Sticky geraea is a rare California native perennial ranked 2B.2 by CNPS, found in southern San Diego County's coastal regions in chaparral openings at elevations of 450 to 1,700 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces yellow disk flowers in compact clusters with heads 10 to 15 millimeters wide. Growing with several stems 30 to 100 centimeters tall that are densely glandular and somewhat bristly, emerging from a woody caudex. Its leaves are ovate to oblong, 3 to 9 centimeters long, with a blunt or rounded tip and a distinctively sticky, glandular surface. The fruit develops 7 to 10 millimeters long with pappus awns 3 to 5 millimeters in length.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated from congeners; discoid heads and sticky glandular herbage distinctive
Habitat and range
Habitat: Openings in chaparral
Elevation: 450-1700 m
Outside California: northwestern Baja California
Bloom period
Geraea viscida blooms May-Jul.
Conservation status
CNPS 2B.2
How to tell it apart
vs Encelia: Geraea achenes are flat, hairy, and topped with 2 slender pappus awns; Encelia (brittlebush) achenes are hairy-margined but lack pappus awns, and it is a rounded shrub with leafless flower stalks.; vs Enceliopsis: Geraea is a leafy-stemmed hairy annual or herb with yellow rays; Enceliopsis has large basal long-petioled leaves and solitary heads on tall naked stalks.; vs Helianthus: Geraea is a smaller desert plant with a 2-awned pappus and narrower involucre; true sunflowers are coarser with larger heads, chaffy receptacles, and a pappus of 2 quickly-shed scales.; vs Bahiopsis: Geraea is herbaceous and bristly with awned achenes; Bahiopsis (goldeneye) is a shrub whose achenes lack a pappus or have only minute scales.; vs Bebbia: Geraea has broad yellow ray flowers around the head; Bebbia (sweetbush) has rayless heads of disk flowers only and a pappus of feathery bristles.
Frequently asked questions
Is Geraea viscida native to California?
Yes. Geraea viscida is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Geraea viscida bloom?
Geraea viscida blooms May-Jul.
What plant family does Geraea viscida belong to?
Geraea viscida is in the Asteraceae family, genus Geraea.
Is Geraea viscida rare or endangered?
Geraea viscida carries California Rare Plant Rank 2B.2, state rank S2.
What habitat does Geraea viscida grow in?
Geraea viscida grows in Openings in chaparral.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.