Stats

Lifespan

Perennial

Size

Medium

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Coastal scrub

Range

California

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Seeds

Defense

Toxins

Status

Uncommon

About

The Cliff Aster is a California native wildflower that clings to rocky coastal bluffs and canyon walls, producing cheerful white daisy-like blooms with a bright yellow center. Its species name, saxatilis, means 'rock-dwelling' — a nod to its talent for thriving in crevices where few other plants dare to grow.

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

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Magnoliopsida

Order

Asterales

Family

Asteraceae

Genus

Malacothrix

Species

Malacothrix saxatilis