Packera multilobata
Lobeleaf groundsel
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Matt Berger · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Packera multilobata (Lobeleaf groundsel) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by . Distinguished by highly divided leaves with multiple lobe pairs.
Lobeleaf groundsel is a California native perennial found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Great Basin, and desert mountains in sagebrush scrub and woodland at elevations of 1,100 to 3,445 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces yellow ray flowers with white to pale yellow disk flowers in heads arranged in flat-topped clusters. Growing with 2 to 4 tall stems that emerge from a weakly branching taproot, it has loosely clustered, glabrous stems that occasionally appear slightly woolly. Its distinctive basal leaves are obovate or fiddle-shaped, pinnately lobed with 3 to 6 pairs of lateral lobes, measuring 4 to 8 centimeters long and tapering at the base with cut or toothed margins. The fruit is small, 2 to 3 millimeters long, and may be glabrous or slightly hairy along its ribs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 11 sympatric species. Distinguished by highly divided leaves with multiple lobe pairs.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Abundant. Dry rocky or sandy soils in sagebrush scrub, woodland
Elevation: 1100-3445 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo, Mono, Lassen, Los Angeles, Modoc, Contra Costa
Outside California: to Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico
Bloom period
Packera multilobata blooms May-Jul.
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 multilobata native to California?
Yes. Packera multilobata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Packera multilobata bloom?
Packera multilobata blooms May-Jul.
Where in California does Packera multilobata grow?
Packera multilobata occurs in San Bernardino, Inyo, Mono, Lassen, Los Angeles, Modoc, Contra Costa, at elevations of 1100-3445 m.
What plant family does Packera multilobata belong to?
Packera multilobata is in the Asteraceae family, genus Packera.
What habitat does Packera multilobata grow in?
Packera multilobata grows in Abundant. Dry rocky or sandy soils in sagebrush scrub, woodland.
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.