Hypochaeris radicata

Rough cat's-ear

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes

Rough cat's-ear is a naturalized perennial found in northwestern California, the Cascade Range, northern Sierra Nevada, Sacramento Valley, central western, and southwestern California in disturbed areas, grasslands, and open woodlands at elevations below 1,500 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces yellow flowers in heads approximately 12 to 16 millimeters wide. Growing with multiple stems from a fleshy root, reaching 10 to 80 centimeters tall, it forms dense clusters in open ground. Its leaves are 6 to 25 centimeters long, deeply toothed or lobed with a rough texture. The fruit develops a slender beak with pappus bristles 9 to 10 millimeters long, helping seeds disperse across disturbed landscapes.

Habitat: Disturbed areas, grassland, open woodland

Bloom period: Apr-Jul

Elevation: < 1500 m

Bioregions: NW, CaR, n SN, ScV, CW, SW

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