Rafinesquia californica
California chicory
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Rafinesquia californica (California chicory) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by involucre size and fruit beak length.
California chicory is a California native annual found in coastal and interior regions including the North Coast, North Coast Ranges, California Ranges, Sierra Nevada Foothills, southern Sierra Nevada, Sutter Buttes, central and southern western California, eastern Sierra Nevada, and desert areas at elevations of 100 to 1,500 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces white to pale lavender flowers in delicate, branched clusters. Growing with erect stems 20 to 150 centimeters tall, it branches extensively in the upper half of the plant. Its leaves are deeply lobed and become smaller toward the top of the stem, with lower leaves wider and more divided. After flowering, the plant produces distinctive fruits with a long, slender beak that is nearly as long as the seed body.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 1 sympatric species; distinguished by involucre size and fruit beak length
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open sites in scrub, woodland; often common after fire
Elevation: 100-1500 m
Outside California: Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, Baja California
Bloom period
Rafinesquia californica blooms Apr-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Malacothrix: Rafinesquia has beaked seeds; Malacothrix seeds lack beaks; vs Calycoseris: Rafinesquia has branched stems with distributed leaves; Calycoseris has nearly leafless stems from basal rosette; vs Sonchus: Rafinesquia has slender stems and small delicate heads; Sonchus has thick hollow stems and larger heads; vs Stephanomeria: Rafinesquia has white flowers; Stephanomeria has pink-lavender flowers; vs Lactuca: Rafinesquia has white flowers and small heads; Lactuca typically has yellow or blue flowers
Frequently asked questions
Is Rafinesquia californica native to California?
Yes. Rafinesquia californica is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Rafinesquia californica bloom?
Rafinesquia californica blooms Apr-Jul.
What plant family does Rafinesquia californica belong to?
Rafinesquia californica is in the Asteraceae family, genus Rafinesquia.
What habitat does Rafinesquia californica grow in?
Rafinesquia californica grows in Open sites in scrub, woodland; often common after fire.
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.