Leptosyne gigantea
Giant tickseed, Giant Tickseed
Family: Asteraceae · Type: shrub · Native
Giant tickseed is a California native shrub found in southern coastal regions including the Channel Islands, southern and central Coast Ranges on shrubby hillsides, coastal dunes, and sea bluffs at elevations below 500 meters. Flowering from January to May, this plant produces bright yellow flowers in large clusters with ray flowers 20 to 30 millimeters long. Growing as a substantial shrub with a single trunk 1 to 2 meters tall and 4 to 10 centimeters in diameter, it has an erect, fleshy form with few branches. Its distinctive leaves are tightly clustered at stem tips, deeply dissected into fine linear segments, creating a complex, mop-like tangle of withered leaves that persist through the dry season. The plant forms a striking coastal landscape element with its bold structure and intricate, feathery foliage.
Habitat: shrubby hillsides, coastal dunes, sea bluffs
Bloom period: Jan-May
Elevation: < 500 m
Bioregions: s CCo, n&c SCo, ChI.
California counties: Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, San Diego
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.