Layia erubescens

blushing layia

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Blushing layia is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native annual found in backdune and sandhill habitats at low elevations from 9 to 250 meters. Flowering from February to June, this plant produces white ray flowers that age to pink or deep rose, creating delicate white and blush-colored flower heads. Growing 15 to 82 centimeters tall with often strictly erect stems that are uniformly dark purple, it has a distinctively glandular and sweet-spicy scented growth habit. Its leaves are linear to narrowly elliptic, with proximal leaves featuring shallow to deep lobes that may be entire or toothed. The ray flowers measure 9 to 20 millimeters long, with yellow to brownish disk flower anthers adding subtle color to its delicate inflorescence.

Habitat: Loose, fine sand of backdunes, sandhills

Bloom period: Feb-Jun

Elevation: 9-250 m

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