Packera werneriifolia
Hoary groundsel
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Packera werneriifolia (Hoary groundsel) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by . Distinguished by very high elevation, low stature, and revolute leaves.
Hoary groundsel is a California native perennial found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and eastern Sierra Nevada in rocky talus slopes and forest openings at elevations of 3,000 to 3,650 meters. Flowering from July to August, this plant produces white flower heads in small clusters with 8 to 13 ray flowers. Growing with short, woolly stems 7 to 15 centimeters tall that emerge from dense, branching rhizomes, it has a compact alpine growth form. Its basal leaves are narrowly lanceolate to elliptic, 1.5 to 4 centimeters long, with entire margins often rolled underneath, while cauline leaves are reduced to small bract-like structures. The plant's heads feature green phyllaries that are occasionally tipped with red and contain 30 to 50 disk flowers.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 10 sympatric species. Distinguished by very high elevation, low stature, and revolute leaves.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Rocky talus slopes, sandy soils in forest openings
Elevation: 3000-3650 m
California counties: Inyo, Mono, Tulare, Tuolumne, Fresno, Alpine, El Dorado, Mariposa, Madera, Calaveras
Outside California: to Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico
Bloom period
Packera werneriifolia blooms Jul-Aug.
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 werneriifolia native to California?
Yes. Packera werneriifolia is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Packera werneriifolia bloom?
Packera werneriifolia blooms Jul-Aug.
Where in California does Packera werneriifolia grow?
Packera werneriifolia occurs in Inyo, Mono, Tulare, Tuolumne, Fresno, Alpine, El Dorado, Mariposa and other counties, at elevations of 3000-3650 m.
What plant family does Packera werneriifolia belong to?
Packera werneriifolia is in the Asteraceae family, genus Packera.
What habitat does Packera werneriifolia grow in?
Packera werneriifolia grows in Common. Rocky talus slopes, sandy soils in forest openings.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Packera bernardina — San bernardino ragwort
- Packera bolanderi var. bolanderi — Seacoast ragwort
- Packera breweri — Brewer's ragwort
- Packera cana — Woolly groundsel
- Packera clevelandii — Cleveland's ragwort
- Packera eurycephala — Widehead groundsel
- Palafoxia arida — Desert palafox
- Palafoxia arida var. arida — Desert needle
- Palafoxia arida var. gigantea — Giant spanish-needle
- Palafoxia sp.
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.