Flower profile

California cudweed

Pseudognaphalium californicum

Native to California

California cudweed is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In California it's most often seen in bloom in March–July.

3states

11,192CA sightings*

11,194U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: California

Quick look

Pseudognaphalium californicum is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by several common names, including ladies' tobacco, California rabbit tobacco, California cudweed, and California everlasting.
From Wikipedia's article Pseudognaphalium californicum, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Asteraceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual, biennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 3 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to California. ^NatureServe
In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–July. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 11,192 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #82 among the 110 flowers on our California list. ^iNaturalist

California cudweed gift ideas

Handmade california cudweed 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 cudweed art print
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California cudweed sticker
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When does it bloom?

In California, most flowering sightings come in March–July.

Flowering records by month in California (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (827 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: G5 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: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: OR (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

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 cudweed in 3 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

California, Oregon, Washington.

California counties with USDA records: Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Kern, Lake, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Plumas, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, Yuba.

More California flowers

Common yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: March–August

Bull thistle

Cirsium vulgare

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in CA: June–October

Brittlebush

Encelia farinosa

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: January–December

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile PSCA13.
iNaturalist, Pseudognaphalium californicum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Pseudognaphalium californicum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Pseudognaphalium californicum (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Anne Parsons via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.