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.seedA dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
- 2.sproutA first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
- 3.saplingA young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
- 4.matureFully 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