Madia sativa
Coast tarweed, Coast Tarweed
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Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Madia sativa (Coast tarweed) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by tall stature, crowded spike-like inflorescence, and small green-yellow rays 1.5-4mm.
Coast tarweed is a California native annual found in northwestern California, northern Sierra Nevada foothills, northern Sierra Nevada, Sacramento Valley, central Western California, southern California coastal areas, Channel Islands, and western Transverse Ranges in grassy or disturbed sites at elevations below 1,000 meters. Flowering from May to October, this plant produces green-yellow to occasionally purple-red ray flowers in small heads arranged in crowded clusters. Growing 35 to 100 centimeters tall with coarse and glandular-hairy stems featuring yellow, purple, or black glands, the plant has lateral branches rarely exceeding the main stem. Its leaves range from 2 to 18 centimeters long, broadly lanceolate to linear-oblong, with widths of 3 to 18 millimeters. The fruits are compressed, black or brown, sometimes mottled, and appear beakless.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 8 sympatric species; distinguished by tall stature, crowded spike-like inflorescence, and small green-yellow rays 1.5-4mm
Habitat and range
Habitat: Grassy, open, or disturbed sites
Elevation: < 1000 m
Outside California: to British Columbia, also southern South America, introduced elsewhere
Bloom period
Madia sativa blooms May-Oct.
How to tell it apart
vs Anisocarpus: Madia has absolutely no pappus on disk flowers; Anisocarpus has 5-21 scales forming a pappus on disk flowers.; vs Deinandra: Madia has ray fruits completely hidden by bracts and no disk pappus; Deinandra has exposed ray fruits and disk pappus present.; vs Layia: Madia has bright yellow rays and no disk pappus; Layia often has white or bicolored rays and hairy disk pappus.; vs Hemizonia: Madia has fruits completely wrapped by bracts; Hemizonia has fruits only partly enclosed by bracts.; vs Lagophylla: Madia has yellow rays and no pappus; Lagophylla has white rays and scale-like pappus on disk flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Madia sativa native to California?
Yes. Madia sativa is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Madia sativa bloom?
Madia sativa blooms May-Oct.
What plant family does Madia sativa belong to?
Madia sativa is in the Asteraceae family, genus Madia.
What habitat does Madia sativa grow in?
Madia sativa grows in Grassy, open, or disturbed sites.
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.