Sphaeromeria potentilloides
Fivefinger chickensage, Fivefinger Chickensage
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Matt Berger · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Sphaeromeria potentilloides (Fivefinger chickensage) is a native California perennial in the Asteraceae family.
Fivefinger chickensage is a California native perennial found in desert and montane regions in rocky or open sites at elevations between 1,000 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces small white to pale yellow flowers in compact clusters with 2 to 20 heads. Growing with delicate branched stems 10 to 30 centimeters tall that spread from the base, it forms a low, intricate clump. Its basal leaves are intricately divided into 1 to 3 pinnate segments, creating a feathery texture with leaves ranging from 20 to 70 millimeters long. The fruit is small, approximately 1 to 1.5 millimeters long, with distinctive 5 ribs that swell when wet.
How to tell it apart
vs Pentachaeta: Sphaeromeria has tiny yellow buttonlike heads in flat clusters; Pentachaeta has daisy-like flowers with white or purple ray petals.; vs Tanacetum: Sphaeromeria has much smaller heads (3-5mm) with only 12-20 bracts; Tanacetum has larger heads with 30-60 bracts.; vs Artemisia: Sphaeromeria has flat-topped flower clusters forming cushions; Artemisia has elongated spike-like or pyramidal flower arrangements.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sphaeromeria potentilloides native to California?
Yes. Sphaeromeria potentilloides is native to California (recorded as native).
What plant family does Sphaeromeria potentilloides belong to?
Sphaeromeria potentilloides is in the Asteraceae family, genus Sphaeromeria.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-06
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.