Bloomipedia
Camphorweed (Heterotheca subaxillaris)
Photo: Mary Spilman via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Camphorweed

Heterotheca subaxillaris

Camphorweed (Heterotheca subaxillaris) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly August–November across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Camphorweed is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 5 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in August–November.

31states where USDA records it
5Bloomipedia state lists include it
18,140U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas

Quick look

Heterotheca subaxillaris, known by the common name camphorweed, is a North American species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae.

  • It belongs to the Asteraceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 31 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Texas, Florida, Alabama, Oklahoma and Mississippi. NatureServe
  • In Texas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in September–November. iNaturalist
  • In Florida, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in September–October. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 8,583 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #69 among the 169 flowers on our Texas list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 3,379 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #89 among the 151 flowers on our Florida list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 687 research-grade sightings of it in Alabama, ranking #86 among the 167 flowers on our Alabama list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,522 records)
Bloom time in the 5 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
TexasNativeSeptember–November8,583
FloridaNativeSeptember–October3,379
AlabamaNativeSeptember–October687
OklahomaNativefew records (10)485
MississippiNativeJuly–October312

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
Texas
Not listed Not on Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Texas. 31 TAC 69.8
Florida
Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Florida. FAC 5B-40.0055
Alabama
No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alabama.
Oklahoma
No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oklahoma.
Mississippi
No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Mississippi.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CO (S2), KY (S2), NV (S1), UT (SH). (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 camphorweed in 31 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia.

Texas counties with USDA records: Andrews, Angelina, Aransas, Atascosa, Bailey, Bastrop, Bell, Bexar, Brazoria, Brazos, Brewster, Brooks, Brown, Burleson, Caldwell, Calhoun, Callahan, Cameron, Chambers, Childress, Clay, Collin, Colorado, Comal, Cottle, Crosby, Dallam, Dallas, Denton, Dickens, Dimmit, Donley, Ector, Erath, Falls, Fayette, Foard, Freestone, Gaines, Galveston, Garza, Gillespie, Gonzales, Gray, Grayson, Grimes, Guadalupe, Hall, Hardeman, Hardin, Harris, Harrison, Hartley, Hays, Hemphill, Henderson, Hidalgo, Hill, Hockley, Hood, Hutchinson, Jackson, Jefferson, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Johnson, Jones, Karnes, Kaufman, Kenedy, Kerr, King, Kleberg, La Salle, Lamb, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Lipscomb, Live Oak, Llano, Lubbock, Madison, Mason, Matagorda, McLennan, Medina, Milam, Montgomery, Motley, Nacogdoches, Navarro, Newton, Nueces, Oldham, Palo Pinto, Parker, Polk, Presidio, Roberts, Robertson, Rusk, San Jacinto, San Patricio, San Saba, Smith, Starr, Tarrant, Taylor, Terrell, Titus, Travis, Tyler, Uvalde, Val Verde, Walker, Washington, Webb, Wheeler, Willacy, Wise.

Florida counties with USDA records: Alachua, Bay, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Jackson, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton, Washington.

Alabama counties with USDA records: Autauga, Baldwin, Coffee, Greene, Hale, Jefferson, Mobile, Sumter, Tuscaloosa.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Chrysopsis scabra, Heterotheca lamarckii, Heterotheca latifolia, Heterotheca psammophila, Heterotheca scabra.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 580 counties across 26 states; the most are in Texas (121), Florida (56), Kansas (50).

Other Heterotheca on Bloomipedia (3): Telegraphweed, Hairy false goldenaster, Stiffleaf false goldenaster.

More from the Asteraceae family (212 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common yarrow, Goldenrods, White snakeroot, Sunflowers, Chicory, Black-eyed Susan, Bull thistle, Common dandelion.

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Sources