Malacothrix saxatilis

Cliff aster

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Cliff aster is a California native perennial herb found in coastal and desert regions in rocky habitats, typically growing in exposed areas with sparse vegetation. Flowering from April to October, this plant produces white ray flowers with ligules 8 to 14 millimeters long, creating delicate, daisy-like blooms. Growing with erect stems 30 to 90 centimeters tall, it develops a branched structure with primarily cauline leaves that are generally linear to obovate in shape. Its leaves vary from entire to irregularly lobed, providing a subtle textural complexity to the plant's appearance. The fruit is small, approximately 1.3 to 2.5 millimeters long, with minute spiny characteristics.

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