Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Horticultural selection from Encelia californica. California sunflower is a very easy and reliable shrub that will provide endless color in the landscape and is also good for cut flowers in the house. The large daisy-like flowers are a solid yellow with chocolate brown centers and are reminiscent of Black-eyed susans The 'El Dorado' selection of this species has larger, more golden yellow flowers and blooms earlier in the season. The leaves are large and medium green. This is a fast growing 4' by 4' perennial that is very versatile. Use it on banks for erosion control, or mixed with other natives for a colorful native perennial bed or mixed flower border. Cut the spent flowers for longer blooming and shaping. Blooms appear prolifically in spring but will also appear whenever there is some supplemental water and moderate temperatures. The flowers are a great favorite with butterflies, bees and other insects and the seed heads provide food for birds if the flowers are left to produce seed. Easy and tolerant of many garden conditions. Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected for the garden.

Plant type

Shrub

Size

3 - 4 ft Tall
3 - 5 ft Wide

Form

Rounded

Growth rate

Fast

Dormancy

Summer Deciduous

Fragrance

Pleasant, Slight

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Color

Yellow

Flowering season

Spring

Special uses

Groundcover, Bank stabilization

Sun

Partial Shade, Full Sun

Water

Low, Very Low

Ease of care

Easy

Cold tolerance

15

Soil drainage

Fast, Medium, Slow

Soil description

Tolerates a wide variety of soils. Tolerates sodic soil..
Soil PH: 6 - 8

Maintenance

After it goes semi-deciduous in the summer, this plant can be cut to the ground and will come back nicely. Because of its tendency to sprawl or become floppy, it can also be pruned after flowering to encourage more flowers and more compact growth

Sunset Zones

7*, 8*, 9*, 10*, 11*, 12*, 14, 15*, 16*, 18*, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

Ceanothus tomentosus, California Sagebrush, Sugar Sumac, Lemonade Sumac, Coyote Broom, Chaparral Mallow, Sagebrush (Artemisia), Black Sage, White Sage, Chamise, Coyote Brush, California Buckwheat, Sticky Monkeyflower, Woolly Bluecurls, Scrub Oaks, Toyon, Dudleya spp., Yucca spp., various cactus species

Birds
Bees
Caterpillars
Butterflies