California Cudweed
Pseudognaphalium californicum
Also listed as Gnaphalium californicum
Also known as California Everlasting, Ladies' Tobacco, California Rabbit-tobacco
Climate Match for your location
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A delicate California native annual to short-lived perennial with fine, woolly foliage and tiny white to pale pink flowers. Thrives in dry, disturbed areas and requires minimal water once established.
Why grow it
California cudweed offers a fine-textured, low-growing alternative to more aggressive native groundcovers in arid and semi-arid gardens. Its minimal water requirements and tolerance for disturbed soils make it useful for erosion control or transitional plantings where establishment is challenging. The woolly foliage provides subtle visual interest and habitat value for small pollinators without the maintenance demands of more vigorous species.
Watch out for
As a short-lived perennial, plants may decline or fail to reseed reliably in overly wet or heavily amended soils, requiring occasional reestablishment. The fine foliage and small stature mean young plants can be outcompeted or smothered by more vigorous neighbors, so site preparation and initial spacing matter more than for robustly growing species.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Asteraceae
Native to the United States
Native Range
California native
Native to: California, Oregon
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
A delicate California native annual to short-lived perennial with fine, woolly foliage and tiny white to pale pink flowers. Thrives in dry, disturbed areas and requires minimal water once established.
Climate Match for your location
See how well California Cudweed grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Why grow it
California cudweed offers a fine-textured, low-growing alternative to more aggressive native groundcovers in arid and semi-arid gardens. Its minimal water requirements and tolerance for disturbed soils make it useful for erosion control or transitional plantings where establishment is challenging. The woolly foliage provides subtle visual interest and habitat value for small pollinators without the maintenance demands of more vigorous species.
Watch out for
As a short-lived perennial, plants may decline or fail to reseed reliably in overly wet or heavily amended soils, requiring occasional reestablishment. The fine foliage and small stature mean young plants can be outcompeted or smothered by more vigorous neighbors, so site preparation and initial spacing matter more than for robustly growing species.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Asteraceae
Native to the United States
Native Range
California native
Native to: California, Oregon
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
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