Daisies are annual or perennial forbs in the Erigeron, Eurybia, Grindelia, Heterotheca, Lessingia, Pyrrocoma,Sericocarpus, and Symphyotrichum genera (among others) of the Astereae tribe of the aster family. This page describes only the species in that tribe that have classic daisy-shaped flowers (i.e., flowers with prominent ligules) and that are native to Yuba County and/or Sutter County. The Astereae tribe also contains coyote brushes, rabbitbrushes, and goldenrods, which are not described here because their flowers do not have the prominent ligules that are characteristic of daisies.

Also see the Goldfields, Mule Ears, Tarweeds, and Tidytips pages for daisy-like plants in other tribes of the aster family.

Perennials

California Aster

California aster (Symphyotrichum chilense) in a garden in Marysville. Photo by queerbychoice. California aster (also called Pacific aster) is a one- to four-foot-tall by one- to three-foot-wide, purple-flowering, winter-deciduous daisy that is native to Yuba County and typically grows at elevations below 4,500 feet. It is found in central oak woodland, valley grassland, yellow pine forest, and riparian forest. It tolerates clay. It is equally likely to grow in wetlands or non-wetlands.

You can read more about it at the Theodore Payne Wiki and the Las Pilitas Nursery website. You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa. You can find out where to buy it at the California Native Plant Link Exchange.

Philadelphia Daisy

Philadelphia daisy (also called Philadelphia fleabane) is a one-to-three-foot-tall, white-flowering daisy that is native to Yuba and Sutter Counties and typically grows at elevations below 4,000 feet. It is found in central oak woodland, valley grassland, yellow pine forest, and riparian forest. It tolerates clay and partial shade. It is equally likely to grow in wetlands or non-wetlands.

You can read more about it at the Las Pilitas Nursery website and USDA Conservation Plant Characteristics. You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa.

Roughleaf Aster

Roughleaf aster is native to Yuba County and typically grows at elevations below 5,000 feet. It is found in central oak woodland or yellow pine forest.

You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa. You can find out where to buy it at the California Native Plant Link Exchange.

Diffuse Daisy

Diffuse daisy (Erigeron divergens) in a garden. Photo by queerbychoice.

Diffuse daisy (also called spreading fleabane) is native to Yuba and Sutter Counties and typically grows at elevations between 200 and 7,700 feet. It is most often found in meadows and on slopes and ridges in central oak woodland or yellow pine forest. Botanist Amos Arthur Heller collected diffuse daisy on the Sutter Buttes in 1905.1

You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa. You can find out where to buy it at the California Native Plant Link Exchange.

Telegraph Weed

Telegraph weed (Heterotheca grandiflora) volunteers in a garden in Marysville. Photo by queerbychoice. Telegraph weed is a two- to six-foot-tall by one- to two-foot-wide, yellow-flowering, stress-deciduous daisy that is native to Yuba County and typically grows at elevations below 1,000 feet. It is found in central oak woodland. It tolerates sand.

You can read more about it at the Theodore Payne Wiki and the Las Pilitas Nursery website. You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa. You can find out where to buy it at the California Native Plant Link Exchange.

Oregon Whitetop Aster

Oregon whitetop aster (also called spreading fleabane) is native to Yuba County and typically grows at elevations between 3,500 and 6,500 feet. It is found in yellow pine forest. It tolerates serpentine.

You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa.

Hairy Gumplant

The large yellow flowers and spiky, gum-filled buds of hairy gumplant (Grindelia hirsutula) mingle with the pink flowers of mountain garland and the smaller yellow flowers of California buttercup in a garden in Marysville. Photo by queerbychoice. Hairy gumplant is a two-foot-tall, yellow-flowering daisy that is native to Yuba and Sutter Counties and typically grows at elevations below 5,600 feet. It is found in riparian forest. It tolerates clay and serpentine.

You can read more about it at the Las Pilitas Nursery website. You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa. You can find out where to buy it at the California Native Plant Link Exchange.

Great Valley Gumplant

Great Valley gumplant (Grindelia camporum) on a Marysville levee. Photo by queerbychoice. Great Valley gumplant is a two- to three-foot-tall by two- to three-foot wide, yellow-flowering daisy that is native to Sutter County and typically grows at elevations below 4,600 feet. It is most often found in alkali sinks in valley grassland. It tolerates clay.

You can read more about it at the Theodore Payne Wiki and the Las Pilitas Nursery website. You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa. You can find out where to buy it at the California Native Plant Link Exchange.

Western Mountain Aster

Western mountain aster is a purple-flowering daisy that is native to Sutter County. It is found in riparian forest.

You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa. You can find out where to buy it at the California Native Plant Link Exchange.

Sticky Goldenweed

Sticky goldenweed is a yellow-flowering daisy that is native to Yuba County and typically grows at elevations below 5,000 feet. It is found in yellow pine forest.

You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa. You can find out where to buy it at the California Native Plant Link Exchange.

Suisun Marsh Aster

Suisun Marsh aster is native to Sutter County. It is most often found in freshwater marsh. It is listed as rare by the California Native Plant Society.

You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa.

Annuals

Threadstem Aster

Threadstem aster is native to Yuba County and typically grows at elevations between 800 and 3,500 feet. It is most often found on slopes in central oak woodland or yellow pine forest. It tolerates serpentine.

You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa.

Dwarf Aster

Dwarf aster is native to Yuba County and typically grows at elevations below 3,000 feet. It is most often found on slopes in central oak woodland and valley grassland.

You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa.

Wand Aster

Wand aster is native to Yuba and Sutter Counties and typically grows at elevations below 1,000 feet. It is found in valley grassland.

You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa.

Annual Water Aster

Annual water aster (also called slim aster) is a three-foot-tall, purple-flowering daisy that is native to Sutter County and typically grows at elevations below 500 feet. It is found in riparian forest. It tolerates clay but not shade.

You can see pictures of it at CalPhotos, Flickr, and Picasa. You can read more about it at USDA Conservation Plant Characteristics.

Footnotes

1. Consortium of California Herbaria