Packera bernardina
San bernardino ragwort, San Bernardino Ragwort
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2
Packera bernardina (San bernardino ragwort) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by . Distinguished by compact inflorescence and leaf proportions.
San bernardino ragwort is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in the eastern San Bernardino Mountains on dry rocky slopes and pine forest duff at elevations of 1,700 to 2,200 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces white ray flowers with yellow disk centers in compact clusters 2 to 8 heads long, each head 8 to 10 millimeters wide. Growing with woolly-tomentose stems 15 to 40 centimeters tall, it emerges from a branched, fibrous-rooted caudex. Its basal leaves are widely spoon-shaped to obovate, 1 to 2.5 centimeters long, with entire or slightly toothed edges near the tip, initially woolly-tomentose and becoming nearly glabrous with age. The fruit is small, 0.7 to 1 millimeter long, with occasional sharp bristles along its ribs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 1 sympatric species. Distinguished by compact inflorescence and leaf proportions.
Habitat and range
Habitat: dry rocky slopes, duff of pine forest
Elevation: 1700-2200 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Del Norte
Bloom period
Packera bernardina blooms May-Jul.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.2
How to tell it apart
vs Senecio: Packera has green or red bract tips and fibrous roots; Senecio often has black bract tips and taproots.; vs Jacobaea: Packera is native with soft-toothed leaf margins; Jacobaea is non-native with harder-edged leaves.; vs Arnica: Packera has alternate leaves and many small heads; Arnica has opposite leaves and fewer large heads.; vs Eriophyllum: Packera has green leaves with soft hairs; Eriophyllum has densely woolly gray-white leaves.; vs Eriogonum: Packera has yellow daisy flowers; buckwheat has ball-like clusters of tiny pink/white/yellow flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Packera bernardina native to California?
Yes. Packera bernardina is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Packera bernardina bloom?
Packera bernardina blooms May-Jul.
Where in California does Packera bernardina grow?
Packera bernardina occurs in San Bernardino, Del Norte, at elevations of 1700-2200 m.
What plant family does Packera bernardina belong to?
Packera bernardina is in the Asteraceae family, genus Packera.
Is Packera bernardina rare or endangered?
Packera bernardina carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.2, state rank S2.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.