Helenium autumnale
Common sneezeweed
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Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Helenium autumnale (Common sneezeweed) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by . Key feature: strongly winged stems.
Common sneezeweed is a California native perennial found in northern Coast Ranges, Klamath Ranges, and North Coast mountains in roadsides, fields, and wet areas at elevations of 20 to 2,600 meters. Flowering from August to October, this plant produces yellow ray flowers with yellow to yellow-brown disk centers in heads 8 to 20 millimeters wide, with 8 to 21 ray flowers surrounding numerous disk flowers. Growing 50 to 130 centimeters tall with strongly winged stems that branch toward the top and are somewhat hairy, it forms robust clumps in moist habitats. Its leaves range from oblanceolate to obovate, with lower leaves often withering by flowering time and cauline leaves that are lanceolate and partially toothed. The fruit is small, 1 to 2 millimeters long, with 5 to 7 pappus scales that have awn-like tips.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 3 sympatric species. Key feature: strongly winged stems
Habitat and range
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, wet areas
Elevation: 20-2600 m
Outside California: continental United States, southwestern Canada
Bloom period
Helenium autumnale blooms Aug-Oct.
How to tell it apart
vs Rudbeckia: Rudbeckia has a dark purple-brown cone; Helenium has a yellow or greenish spherical disk.; vs Cotula: Cotula lacks ray flowers entirely; Helenium has yellow rays around the spherical disk.; vs Hymenoxys: Hymenoxys has deeply dissected ferny leaves; Helenium leaves are entire or shallowly lobed.; vs Oncosiphon: Oncosiphon lacks ray flowers and has finely divided ferny leaves; Helenium has rays and simple to lobed leaves.; vs Helianthella: Helianthella has flat disks with erect phyllaries; Helenium has spherical disks with reflexed phyllaries.
Frequently asked questions
Is Helenium autumnale native to California?
Yes. Helenium autumnale is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Helenium autumnale bloom?
Helenium autumnale blooms Aug-Oct.
What plant family does Helenium autumnale belong to?
Helenium autumnale is in the Asteraceae family, genus Helenium.
What habitat does Helenium autumnale grow in?
Helenium autumnale grows in Roadsides, fields, wet areas.
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.