Helianthella californica var. nevadensis
California helianthella
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Helianthella californica var. nevadensis (California helianthella) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by 2 sympatric varieties; differentiated by leaf width and flower head size.
California helianthella is a native perennial found in northern Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, southern Peninsular Range, and Warner Mountains in meadows, forest, and chaparral at elevations of 250 to 2,600 meters. Flowering from April to August, this plant produces yellow sunflower-like heads with golden disk flowers 1.5 to 2 centimeters in diameter. Growing with stems generally 30 to 60 centimeters tall, it forms an upright, slender habit. Its leaves are distinctively oblong to lance-linear, measuring 2 to 4 centimeters wide with a notable linear shape. The fruit is characterized by small awns or narrow scales 1 to 2 millimeters long, forming a delicate crown at the top of each flower head.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric varieties; differentiated by leaf width and flower head size
Habitat and range
Habitat: Meadows, forest, chaparral
Elevation: 250-2600 m
Outside California: southern Oregon, western Nevada
Bloom period
Helianthella californica var. nevadensis blooms Apr-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Wyethia: Both basal and stem leaves prominent vs. mostly large basal leaves with smaller stem leaves in Wyethia.; vs Helianthus: Consistently perennial in mountains vs. often annual in disturbed lowlands.; vs Arnica: Leaves mostly opposite up stem vs. mostly alternate in Arnica.; vs Eriophyllum: Large sunflower heads and broad leaves vs. small heads and narrow/divided leaves in woolly sunflower.; vs Helenium: Large basal leaf rosette present vs. basal leaves absent in Helenium.
Frequently asked questions
Is Helianthella californica var. nevadensis native to California?
Yes. Helianthella californica var. nevadensis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Helianthella californica var. nevadensis bloom?
Helianthella californica var. nevadensis blooms Apr-Aug.
What plant family does Helianthella californica var. nevadensis belong to?
Helianthella californica var. nevadensis is in the Asteraceae family, genus Helianthella.
What habitat does Helianthella californica var. nevadensis grow in?
Helianthella californica var. nevadensis grows in Meadows, forest, chaparral.
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.