Helianthus nuttallii
Nuttall's sunflower
(c) Bob Nieman, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Bob Nieman · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Helianthus nuttallii (Nuttall's sunflower) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family.
Nuttall's sunflower is a California native perennial found in low to mid-elevation grasslands and open habitats. Flowering from July to October, this plant produces bright yellow ray flowers 15 to 25 millimeters long with yellow disk flowers, forming heads 1 to 2 centimeters in diameter in flat-topped or rounded clusters. Growing 50 to 500 centimeters tall from clustered, tuber-like roots with a short rhizome, it develops erect stems that are either smooth or hairy. Its leaves are predominantly alternate, narrowly lanceolate to ovate, 10 to 20 centimeters long with wedge-shaped bases and pointed tips, sometimes with entire or slightly serrated margins. The fruit is a small achene 3 to 4 millimeters long with short pappus scales.
How to tell it apart
vs Encelia: Helianthus is herbaceous with soft stems; Encelia is a woody shrub with persistent branches.; vs Bahiopsis: Helianthus has soft herbaceous stems; Bahiopsis is woody-based with persistent woody stems.; vs Wyethia: Helianthus has smaller disk flowers and readily falling seed scales; Wyethia has very large 8-12mm disk flowers.; vs Rudbeckia: Helianthus has a flat or rounded yellow center; Rudbeckia has a tall dark cone-shaped center.; vs Venegasia: Helianthus dies back to ground level; Venegasia is a large evergreen shrub in shaded canyons.
Frequently asked questions
Is Helianthus nuttallii native to California?
Yes. Helianthus nuttallii is native to California (recorded as native).
What plant family does Helianthus nuttallii belong to?
Helianthus nuttallii is in the Asteraceae family, genus Helianthus.
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.