Helianthus gracilentus

Slender sunflower

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Slender sunflower is a California native perennial found in southern North Coast Ranges, Tehama, eastern San Francisco Bay Area, southern Coast Ranges, and southwestern California in dry slopes, chaparral, and woodland at elevations below 2,000 meters. Flowering from April to October, this plant produces yellow ray flowers 15 to 25 millimeters long with distinctive yellow or red disk flower centers in heads 13 to 20 millimeters wide. Growing 60 to 200 centimeters tall with a stout taproot and rough-hairy stems, it develops robust and textured vegetation. Its opposite to alternate leaves are lanceolate, 5 to 11 centimeters long, with rough upper surfaces and bristly undersides that are dotted with glands. The plant produces small fruits 3 to 4 millimeters long, often thriving in areas recently affected by fire.

Habitat: dry slopes, especially after fires, chaparral, woodland

Bloom period: Apr-Oct

Elevation: < 2000 m

Bioregions: s NCoR, Teh, e SnFrB, SCoR, SW

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