Helianthus inexpectatus

Newhall sunflower

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

Newhall sunflower is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native perennial found in the western Transverse Ranges along a single site near the Santa Clara River in Los Angeles County, growing in a spring-fed marsh within willow woodland at an elevation of 300 meters. Flowering from August to October, this plant produces yellow ray flowers with yellow disk centers in heads 2 to 2.5 centimeters wide, with 12 to 21 distinctive ray flowers extending 2 to 3 centimeters long. Growing with thick woody roots and a short rhizome, it reaches 1.5 to 5 meters tall with stems that are nearly smooth and glabrous. Its leaves are alternate or opposite, 10 to 20 centimeters long, lance-shaped with wedge-shaped bases and sharp tips, featuring strigose to short-rough hair on the lower surface. The fruit is 3 to 3.8 millimeters long with small pappus scales measuring 3 to 4 millimeters.

Habitat: Spring-fed marsh in willow woodland

Bloom period: Aug-Oct

Elevation: 300 m

Bioregions: WTR (1 site along Santa Clara River near Newhall, Los Angeles Co.).

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