Flower profile

Hairy false goldenaster

Heterotheca villosa

Native in the lower 48

Hairy false goldenaster is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–October.

23states

3of our state lists

3,058U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota

Quick look

Heterotheca villosa, commonly known as the hairy goldenaster, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae found in central and western North America.
From Wikipedia's article Heterotheca villosa, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Asteraceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 23 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Montana, South Dakota and North Dakota. ^NatureServe
In Montana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–October. ^iNaturalist
In South Dakota, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–September. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as mid summer. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 3 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 485 research-grade sightings of it in Montana, ranking #94 among the 109 flowers on our Montana list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 277 research-grade sightings of it in South Dakota, ranking #49 among the 108 flowers on our South Dakota list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 270 research-grade sightings of it in North Dakota, ranking #22 among the 109 flowers on our North Dakota list. ^iNaturalist

Hairy false goldenaster gift ideas

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (259 records)

Bloom time in each of our 3 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Montana	Native	June–October	485
South Dakota	Native	July–September	277
North Dakota	Native	July–October	270

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
Montana: No list Montana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Montana ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Montana.
South Dakota: No list South Dakota's endangered and threatened list (ARSD 41:10:02) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's South Dakota ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Dakota.
North Dakota: No list North Dakota has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's North Dakota ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in North Dakota.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: IA (S1). (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 hairy false goldenaster in 23 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Montana counties with USDA records: Beaverhead, Big Horn, Blaine, Broadwater, Carbon, Carter, Cascade, Chouteau, Custer, Daniels, Dawson, Fallon, Fergus, Flathead, Gallatin, Garfield, Glacier, Golden Valley, Granite, Hill, Jefferson, Judith Basin, Lewis and Clark, Liberty, Lincoln, Madison, McCone, Meagher, Mineral, Missoula, Musselshell, Park, Petroleum, Phillips, Pondera, Powder River, Powell, Prairie, Ravalli, Richland, Roosevelt, Rosebud, Sanders, Sheridan, Silver Bow, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Teton, Toole, Treasure, Valley, Wheatland, Wibaux, Yellowstone.

South Dakota counties with USDA records: Beadle, Bennett, Brookings, Brown, Buffalo, Codington, Corson, Custer, Day, Fall River, Haakon, Hamlin, Harding, Jones, Lawrence, Lyman, Marshall, McPherson, Minnehaha, Pennington, Perkins, Roberts, Stanley, Todd, Tripp.

North Dakota counties with USDA records: Barnes, Benson, Billings, Bottineau, Bowman, Burke, Burleigh, Cass, Cavalier, Dickey, Divide, Dunn, Eddy, Emmons, Grand Forks, Grant, Griggs, Hettinger, Kidder, Logan, McHenry, McIntosh, McKenzie, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Mountrail, Nelson, Pembina, Pierce, Ramsey, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Sheridan, Sioux, Slope, Stark, Steele, Stutsman, Ward, Wells, Williams.

More Montana flowers

Common yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Native

🌼 Blooms in MT: June–September

White snakeroot

Ageratina altissima

Native

🌼 Blooms: August–October

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta

★ MD state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms: May–October

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile HEVI4.
iNaturalist, Heterotheca villosa: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Heterotheca villosa (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Montana: Montana noxious weed list (Admin. R. Mont. 4.5.206–4.5.210).
South Dakota: South Dakota statewide noxious weeds (ARSD 12:62:03:01.06).
North Dakota: North Dakota state noxious weeds (N.D. Admin. Code 7-06-01-02), as listed by the ND Department of Agriculture.
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Heterotheca villosa (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Bob Miller via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.