Pseudognaphalium californicum
Ladies' tobacco
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Pseudognaphalium californicum (Ladies' tobacco) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by large flower heads with many female flowers and sticky glandular leaves.
Ladies' tobacco is a California native perennial herb found in California Floristic Province (except Great Valley) in sandy canyons, dry hills, and coastal chaparral at elevations of 60 to 800 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces white to pink flowers in flat-topped or rounded clusters with shiny involucre heads. Growing with erect stems 20 to 130 centimeters tall that are stalked-glandular and sometimes slightly woolly, it has a distinctive scented quality. Its leaves are oblanceolate to lanceolate, 4 to 10 centimeters long, generally green and sticky with stalked glandular surfaces that can be slightly wavy. The fruit is ridged and smooth, with each flower head containing 105 to 140 pistillate flowers and 7 to 12 disk flowers.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 11 sympatric species; key features are large flower heads with many female flowers and sticky glandular leaves
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy canyons, dry hills, coastal chaparral
Elevation: 60-800 m
California counties: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Bernardino, Ventura, Humboldt, Mendocino, Orange, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Tulare, Calaveras, Kern, Riverside, Amador, Contra Costa, Madera, Napa, Alameda, San Benito, Shasta, Sierra, Tuolumne, El Dorado, Fresno, Lake, Marin, Mariposa, Monterey, Nevada, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Sutter, Glenn, Butte, Colusa, Yuba, Solano, Stanislaus, Trinity, Placer, Sacramento, Del Norte, Yolo
Outside California: Oregon, Baja California
Bloom period
Pseudognaphalium californicum blooms Apr-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Anaphalis: Pseudognaphalium has branched, open flower clusters; Anaphalis has dense, flat-topped clusters and noticeably papery white bracts.; vs Helichrysum: Pseudognaphalium has small, clustered woolly heads; Helichrysum has larger, more colorful papery flower heads often used in dried arrangements.; vs Artemisia: Pseudognaphalium has woolly white leaves and papery flower heads; Artemisia has aromatic gray-green leaves and tiny greenish flowers.; vs Salvia: Pseudognaphalium has papery flower heads in the Asteraceae; Salvia has tubular lipped flowers typical of mints with square stems.; vs Erigeron: Pseudognaphalium has papery heads without obvious petals; Erigeron has clear white or colored ray petals around each flower head.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pseudognaphalium californicum native to California?
Yes. Pseudognaphalium californicum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Pseudognaphalium californicum bloom?
Pseudognaphalium californicum blooms Apr-Jul.
Where in California does Pseudognaphalium californicum grow?
Pseudognaphalium californicum occurs in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Bernardino, Ventura, Humboldt, Mendocino, Orange, San Mateo and other counties, at elevations of 60-800 m.
What plant family does Pseudognaphalium californicum belong to?
Pseudognaphalium californicum is in the Asteraceae family, genus Pseudognaphalium.
What habitat does Pseudognaphalium californicum grow in?
Pseudognaphalium californicum grows in Sandy canyons, dry hills, coastal chaparral.
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.