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California Cudweed
Pseudognaphalium californicum
  
About California Cudweed (Pseudognaphalium californicum) 16 Nurseries Carry This Plant California Cudweed (Pseudognaphalium californicum) is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family. It is native to the west coast of North America from Washington to Baja California, where it is a member of the flora of many habitats, including chaparral. In California it is most often found near the coast from Sonoma County southward and in the Sierra foothills.

This is an annual or biennial herb with branching stems. Its green herbage is hairy, sticky and scented. The flower head is a wide cluster of flowers, each enveloped in ringed rows of bright white. The flowers are very long lasting when dried and are used in flower arrangements.

Classification is disputed between the genera Pseudognaphalium and Gnaphalium, but it is presently classified as Pseudognaphlium. Also, some sources refer to this plant as Pearly Everlasting, but that's actually the common name of a different species (Anaphlis margaritacea). California Cudweed would work best in an informal garden or wildscape. It re-seeds prolifically, so be prepared to pull seedlings from areas where it is not wanted.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Perennial herb, Annual herb

Size
Size
0.7 - 2.8 ft tall
2 ft wide

Dormancy
Dormancy
Summer Semi-Deciduous

Fragrance
Fragrance
Fragrant - Pleasant

Flower Color
Flower Color
Cream, White, Green

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Winter, Spring, Summer

Wildlife Supported
 
This is a larval host plant for Painted Lady butterflies.

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 14 likely * ) SHOW ALL
*
Egira hiemalis Image
Egira hiemalisEgira hiemalis
*
Hellinsia phoebus Image
Hellinsia phoebusHellinsia phoebus
*
Rifseria fuscotaeniaella Image
Rifseria fuscotaeniaellaRifseria fuscotaeniaella
*
Scrobipalpula psilella Image
Scrobipalpula psilellaScrobipalpula psilella

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Very Low, Low,

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Moderately Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to -15° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium, Slow

Soil Description
Soil Description
Very tolerant of various soils including clay, shale, sand, etc.. Tolerates Saline Soil,Tolerates Serpentine Soil,Tolerates Sodic Soil. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0

Common uses
Common uses
Butterfly Gardens, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Works with a wide variety of other plants. In the wild it is often found with other pioneer species such as Lotus (Acmispon sp.), native grasses, and wildflowers such as California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica).

Propagation
Propagation?
Easily propagated from seed and readily re-seeds itself in the garden

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
4, 5, 6, 7*, 8, 9, 10, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
This is a pioneer species that is most often found in disturbed areas but also in openings in coastal sage scrub, chaparral or woodlands and along creekbeds.

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 4.1" - 77.1", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 2.72", Coldest Month: 27.0" - 59.5", Hottest Month: 56.3" - 87.8", Humidity: 0.09" - 38.67", Elevation: -253" - 7620"

Alternative Names
Botanical Names: Gnaphalium californicum
Common Names: California Everlasting, California Rabbit Tobacco, Green Everlasting, Ladies' Tobacco


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


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