California Brittlebush
California Brittlebush
Encelia californica
Plantae
COMMON

Stats

Lifespan
20-30 yrs
Size
Medium
Diet
Photosynthetic
Biome
Coastal scrub
Range
North America
Movement
Sessile
Breeding
Seeds
Defense
Toxins
Status
Common

About

A native California shrub in the daisy family, California brittlebush bursts with bright yellow ray flowers atop slender stems from late winter through summer. Its resinous gray-green leaves give it an aromatic, silvery appearance, and it can flower almost continuously in mild coastal climates.

Life cycle

  1. 1.
    seed
    A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
  2. 2.
    sprout
    A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
  3. 3.
    sapling
    A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
  4. 4.
    mature
    Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asterales
Family
Asteraceae
Genus
Encelia
Species
Encelia californica