Seaside Woolly Sunflower, Eriophyllum staechadifolium

About Seaside Woolly Sunflower (Eriophyllum staechadifolium) 26 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Seaside Woolly Sunflower (Eriophyllum staechadifolium) is a native perennial herb in the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family that grows primarily along the coast from Santa Barbara County northward to Oregon and on the Channel Islands. It tends to grow in dunes and coastal scrub at elevations under 300 feet. The grey-green leaves are deeply lobed and have rolled-under edges. The shape of the leaves resembles a lizard when viewed from above, hence the common name "Lizard Tail". The flower heads consisting of both ray and disk florets are yellow and showy. Drought tolerant but healthier looking with occasional summer water.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Perennial herb, Shrub

Size

2 - 5 ft tall
4 - 5 ft wide

Dormancy

Evergreen

Flower Color

Yellow

Flowering Season

Spring, Summer

Wildlife Supported

Various insect pollinators are attracted to the flowers
Butterfly gardens

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 7 likely * ) SHOW ALL

White-lined Sphinx Hyles lineataHyles lineata

Geranium Plume Moth Amblyptilia picaAmblyptilia pica

Orange Tortrix Moth Argyrotaenia franciscanaArgyrotaenia franciscana

Lupine Ghost Moths Phymatopus californicusPhymatopus californicus

Phalonidia latipunctanaPhalonidia latipunctana

Phtheochroa aegranaPhtheochroa aegrana

Platyptilia williamsiiPlatyptilia williamsii

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture

Extremely Low, Very Low, Low

Summer Irrigation

Max 1x / month once established, Max 2x / month once established, Never irrigate once established

Nurseries

Carried by 26

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to 25° F

Soil Drainage

Fast

Soil Description

Sandy. Soil PH: 5.5 - 7.0

Common uses

Groundcovers, Deer Resistant, Butterfly Gardens, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants

Use with other coastal species such as Sand Verbena (Abronia sp.), Silver Beachweed (Ambrosia chamissonis), Beach Morningglory (Calystegia soldanella), Beach Evening Primrose (Camissoniopsis cheiranthifolia), Fleabane (Erigeron sp.), Dune Lupine (Lupinus chamissonis), Coast Buckwheat (Eriogonum latifolium), and Hummingbird Sage (Salvia spathacea)

Propagation?

For propagating by seed: No treatment.

Sunset Zones?

5*, 7, 8, 9, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting

Site Type

Dunes, coastal bluffs, coastal strand

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 11.0" - 74.5", Summer Precipitation: 0.15" - 2.17", Coldest Month: 42.1" - 56.0", Hottest Month: 55.1" - 76.4", Humidity: 0.08" - 23.33", Elevation: -133" - 2884"

Alternative Names

Common Names: Lizard Tail

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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Seaside Woolly Sunflower

Eriophyllum staechadifolium

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Seaside Woolly SunflowerEriophyllum staechadifolium

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Seaside Woolly Sunflower

Eriophyllum staechadifolium