Hymenoxys hoopesii
Owl's claws
(c) Chase Mathey, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Hymenoxys hoopesii (Owl's claws) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by large size, entire leaves, and massive flower heads.
Owl's claws is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, Sierra Nevada, Warner Mountains, and northern eastern Sierra Nevada in mountain meadows, open forest, and streambanks at elevations of 1,500 to 3,650 meters. Flowering from May to November, this plant produces bright yellow-orange to orange flowers in heads 12 to 17 millimeters wide, arranged in panicle-like or flat-topped clusters. Growing with 1 to 4 stems 30 to 100 centimeters tall, the plant has a stout, nearly black rhizome and stems that are often red-purple at the base. Its leaves range from 5 to 30 centimeters long, with proximal leaves oblong to oblanceolate and entire, while distal leaves become progressively smaller and more linear. The plant produces numerous disk flowers and up to 26 ray flowers, creating a distinctive and showy appearance in its mountain habitats.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; distinguished by large size, entire leaves, and massive flower heads
Habitat and range
Habitat: Mountain meadows, open forest, streambanks
Elevation: 1500-3650 m
California counties: Mono, Inyo, Tulare, Alpine, El Dorado, Placer, Plumas, Trinity, Fresno, Tuolumne, Modoc, Siskiyou, Mariposa
Outside California: to Oregon, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico
Bloom period
Hymenoxys hoopesii blooms May-Nov.
How to tell it apart
vs Helenium: Helenium has simple entire or toothed leaves; Hymenoxys has deeply dissected thread-like segments.; vs Hulsea: Hulsea has simple entire to shallowly toothed leaves; Hymenoxys has deeply divided linear segments.; vs Helianthella: Helianthella has broad simple leaves; Hymenoxys has finely dissected thread-like foliage.; vs Arnica: Arnica has paired opposite simple leaves; Hymenoxys has alternate dissected leaves.; vs Eatonella: Eatonella has simple spoon-shaped leaves; Hymenoxys has dissected linear segments.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hymenoxys hoopesii native to California?
Yes. Hymenoxys hoopesii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Hymenoxys hoopesii bloom?
Hymenoxys hoopesii blooms May-Nov.
Where in California does Hymenoxys hoopesii grow?
Hymenoxys hoopesii occurs in Mono, Inyo, Tulare, Alpine, El Dorado, Placer, Plumas, Trinity and other counties, at elevations of 1500-3650 m.
What plant family does Hymenoxys hoopesii belong to?
Hymenoxys hoopesii is in the Asteraceae family, genus Hymenoxys.
What habitat does Hymenoxys hoopesii grow in?
Hymenoxys hoopesii grows in Mountain meadows, open forest, streambanks.
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.