Isocoma menziesii var. diabolica

Satan's goldenbush, Satan's Goldenbush

Family: Asteraceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.2

Satan's goldenbush is a California native shrub ranked 4.2 by CNPS, found in southern San Francisco Bay and northern South Coast Ranges in open slopes and cliffs within foothill woodland and grassland habitats at elevations below 800 meters. Flowering from August to November, this plant produces yellow flowers in flat-topped clusters, with individual flower heads approximately 6 to 7 millimeters long. Growing 4 to 7 meters tall with erect stems branched at the base, it features a sticky, sometimes varnished appearance with stalked-glandular herbage. Its leaves are narrowly oblanceolate to obovate, clustered in axils, measuring 2 to 4.5 centimeters long, with proximal leaves having shallow serrations. The fruit is 4.5 to 5 millimeters long, contributing to its distinctive appearance in its native grassland habitats.

Habitat: Open slopes and cliffs, generally in foothill woodland, grassland

Bloom period: Aug-Nov

Elevation: < 800 m

Bioregions: s SnFrB, n SCoRI.

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