Tetradymia axillaris var. axillaris

Catclaw horsebrush

Family: Asteraceae · Type: shrub · Native

Catclaw horsebrush is a California native shrub found in the northern Desert Mountains and White and Inyo Mountains in desert scrub and woodland habitats at elevations of 1,150 to 2,300 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces yellow flowers in heads with glabrous peduncles and involucres. Growing with branching stems that form dense, rounded shapes, it develops a sturdy woody structure typical of desert shrubs. Its leaves are small and narrow, clustered along the branches and contributing to the plant's compact form. The fruit is notable for having soft, elongated hairs measuring 6 to 8 millimeters long.

Habitat: Desert scrub, woodland

Bloom period: Apr-May

Elevation: 1150-2300 m

Bioregions: W&ampI, n DMtns

California counties: Inyo, Kern, Riverside, Los Angeles

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.