Packera clevelandii
Cleveland's ragwort
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Packera clevelandii (Cleveland's ragwort) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by . Distinguished by glaucous leaves and purple-tipped phyllaries.
Cleveland's ragwort is a California native perennial found in the northern Coast Ranges and central Sierra Nevada Foothills in chaparral and woodland along streams with serpentine soils at elevations of 260 to 900 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces yellow ray flowers with distinctive white to cream disk flowers in heads 12 to 20 millimeters wide. Growing with a single glaucous stem 30 to 80 centimeters tall from a stout taprooted caudex, it develops a distinctive appearance. Its thick, firm basal leaves are lanceolate to narrowly oblanceolate, 3 to 10 centimeters long, with edges ranging from entire to crenate or shallowly lobed, and a glaucous blue-green coloration. The flower heads feature green phyllaries with purple tips, creating an elegant visual contrast in its woodland habitat.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 7 sympatric species. Distinguished by glaucous leaves and purple-tipped phyllaries.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Chaparral, woodland along streams in serpentine soils
Elevation: 260-900 m
California counties: Tuolumne, Glenn, Lake, Nevada, Napa, Colusa, Tehama
Bloom period
Packera clevelandii blooms May-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
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 clevelandii native to California?
Yes. Packera clevelandii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Packera clevelandii bloom?
Packera clevelandii blooms May-Aug.
Where in California does Packera clevelandii grow?
Packera clevelandii occurs in Tuolumne, Glenn, Lake, Nevada, Napa, Colusa, Tehama, at elevations of 260-900 m.
What plant family does Packera clevelandii belong to?
Packera clevelandii is in the Asteraceae family, genus Packera.
Is Packera clevelandii rare or endangered?
Packera clevelandii carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S3.
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
Last updated 2026-10-08
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.