Bloomipedia
California brittlebush (Encelia californica)
Photo: Jon Sullivan via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

California brittlebush

Encelia californica

Native to California

California brittlebush is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In California it's most often seen in bloom in January–December.

1states
26,607CA sightings*
26,608U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: California

Quick look

Encelia californica is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae It is commonly referred to as California coast sunflower and California bush sunflower.

  • It belongs to the Asteraceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 1 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to California. NatureServe
  • In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in January–December. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 26,607 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #11 among the 110 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist

California brittlebush gift ideas

Handmade california brittlebush gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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    California brittlebush art print

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When does it bloom?

In California, most flowering sightings come in January–December.

Flowering records by month in California (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,008 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G4 Apparently secure worldwide. NatureServe
California
Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in California. CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records California brittlebush in 1 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

California.

California counties with USDA records: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura.

More California flowers

Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Common yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: March–August
Bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare)

Bull thistle

Cirsium vulgare

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in CA: June–October
Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa)

Brittlebush

Encelia farinosa

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: January–December

Sources