Packera bolanderi var. bolanderi
Seacoast ragwort, Seacoast Ragwort
DeanWmTaylor (via Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 2B.2
Packera bolanderi var. bolanderi (Seacoast ragwort) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by . Distinguished by coastal habitat, fiddle-shaped leaves, and large rays.
Seacoast ragwort is a rare (CNPS 2B.2) California native perennial found in the North Coast bioregion in coastal forest and wet cliff habitats at elevations below 300 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces white ray flowers 10 to 15 millimeters long in flat-topped clusters of 8 to 15 flower heads. Growing 20 to 50 centimeters tall with 1 to 3 loosely clustered glabrous stems from a creeping fibrous-rooted caudex, it has a distinctive growth habit. Its basal leaves are round to oblong, 5 to 12 centimeters long, with 1 to 3 pairs of pinnately arranged lateral lobes that are shallowly to deeply incised with rounded sinuses. The flower heads feature both ray and disk flowers, with 8 to 13 ray flowers and 30 to 45 disk flowers surrounded by 13 or 21 phyllaries with brown multicelled hairs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species. Distinguished by coastal habitat, fiddle-shaped leaves, and large rays.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Coastal forest, wet cliffs
Elevation: < 300 m
California counties: Del Norte, Mendocino, Humboldt
Outside California: to Washington
Bloom period
Packera bolanderi var. bolanderi blooms May-Jul.
Conservation status
CNPS 2B.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 bolanderi var. bolanderi native to California?
Yes. Packera bolanderi var. bolanderi is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Packera bolanderi var. bolanderi bloom?
Packera bolanderi var. bolanderi blooms May-Jul.
Where in California does Packera bolanderi var. bolanderi grow?
Packera bolanderi var. bolanderi occurs in Del Norte, Mendocino, Humboldt, at elevations of < 300 m.
What plant family does Packera bolanderi var. bolanderi belong to?
Packera bolanderi var. bolanderi is in the Asteraceae family, genus Packera.
Is Packera bolanderi var. bolanderi rare or endangered?
Packera bolanderi var. bolanderi carries California Rare Plant Rank 2B.2, state rank S2S3.
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.