Wyethia ovata
Southern mule's ears
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Wyethia ovata (Southern mule's ears) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by differentiated by low sprawling habit and small rays.
Southern mule's ears is a California native perennial found in southern Sierra Nevada and southwestern California in grasslands, open woodlands, and forests at elevations of 300 to 2,750 meters. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces yellow sunflower-like flowers with rays 8 to 18 millimeters long in flat-topped clusters. Growing 10 to 50 centimeters tall with often branched, decumbent stems that are slightly sticky and glandular, it forms dense clumps in open landscapes. Its leaves are soft and silky-hairy, 7 to 20 centimeters long, ranging from elliptic to broadly ovate with bases that can be acute, obtuse, truncate, or heart-shaped. The flower heads have distinctive involucres 1.5 to 2 centimeters wide with outer phyllaries 30 to 50 millimeters long that are leaf-like and erect.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 4 sympatric species - differentiated by low sprawling habit and small rays
Habitat and range
Habitat: Grassland, open woodland and forest
Elevation: 300-2750 m
Outside California: northern Baja California
Bloom period
Wyethia ovata blooms May-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Helianthella: Wyethia has leaves scattered up the stem while Helianthella leaves are mostly basal or opposite.; vs Balsamorhiza: Wyethia has several leaves climbing the stem; Balsamorhiza leaves are nearly all at ground level.; vs Agnorhiza: Wyethia has large 8-12mm disk flowers; Agnorhiza disk flowers are much smaller.; vs Helianthus: Wyethia has very large disk flowers (8-12mm) and broader leaves; Helianthus has smaller disk flowers.; vs Gazania: Wyethia is a robust native perennial with scattered stem leaves; Gazania is a low garden escape.
Frequently asked questions
Is Wyethia ovata native to California?
Yes. Wyethia ovata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Wyethia ovata bloom?
Wyethia ovata blooms May-Sep.
What plant family does Wyethia ovata belong to?
Wyethia ovata is in the Asteraceae family, genus Wyethia.
What habitat does Wyethia ovata grow in?
Wyethia ovata grows in Grassland, open woodland and forest.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Wyethia reticulata — El dorado county mule ears
- Wyethia sp. — Mule's ears
- Wyethia angustifolia — California compassplant
- Wyethia bolanderi — Bolander's mule's ears
- Wyethia elata — Hall's wyethia
- Wyethia glabra — Coast range mule ears
- Xanthisma gracile — Annual bristleweed
- Xanthisma junceum — Rush-like bristleweed
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.