Gutierrezia microcephala

Sticky snakeweed, Sticky Snakeweed

Family: Asteraceae · Type: shrub · Native

Sticky snakeweed is a California native shrub found in southern California, San Bernardino Mountains, Peninsular Ranges, eastern Sierra Nevada, and desert regions in grassland, sand dunes, and desert scrub at elevations of 700 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from July to November, this plant produces small yellow flowers in compact heads with 1 to 2 ray flowers and 1 to 2 disk flowers. Growing as a much-branched plant 20 to 60 centimeters tall, it forms an almost spherical shape with stems that are brown at the base and yellow or green toward the top. Its leaves are thin and linear, resembling delicate threads that spread throughout the plant's dense branching structure. The small flower heads cluster in groups of 5 to 6 at the tips of secondary branches, creating a distinctive compact appearance.

Habitat: Grassland, sand dunes, desert scrub

Bloom period: Jul-Nov

Elevation: 700-2500 m

Bioregions: SCo, SnBr, PR, SNE, D

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.