Hemizonia congesta

Hayfield tarweed

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Native

Hayfield tarweed is a California native annual found in grasslands and agricultural areas across the state's central and coastal regions. Flowering from May to October, this plant produces delicate white to yellow ray flowers with purple veins, often arranged in compact clusters with heads 3 to 8 millimeters in diameter. Growing with erect stems 15 to 80 centimeters tall, it has an often aromatic quality with a variable growth habit. Its leaves are distinctively narrow, ranging from 5 to 18 centimeters long and 2 to 8 millimeters wide, with a linear to lance-linear shape and minutely serrated edges, covered in fine puberulent or silky hairs. The plant is particularly notable for its intricate flower heads with 5 to 14 ray flowers and dark purple anthers that add visual complexity to its appearance.

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