Flower profile
Woolly mule's ears
Wyethia mollis
Woolly mule's ears is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Nevada it's most often seen in bloom in May–August.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Nevada
Quick look
Wyethia mollis is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name woolly mule's ears. The plant is hairy to woolly in texture, sometimes losing its hairs with age.
- It belongs to the Asteraceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial 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 Nevada. NatureServe
- In Nevada, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–August. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as late spring. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 2.5 ft. USDA PLANTS
- iNaturalist has 434 research-grade sightings of it in Nevada, ranking #94 among the 110 flowers on our Nevada list. iNaturalist
Woolly mule's ears gift ideas
Handmade woolly mule's ears 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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Woolly mule's ears art print
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Woolly mule's ears greeting card
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Woolly mule's ears mug
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Woolly mule's ears earrings
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Woolly mule's ears embroidery pattern
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Woolly mule's ears sticker
When does it bloom?
In Nevada, most flowering sightings come in May–August.
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
- Nevada
- Not listed Not on Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010). NatureServe: S3, vulnerable in Nevada. NAC 527.010
- 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.
Please don't pick or dig this flower: NatureServe ranks it S3 in Nevada. NatureServe
Can you eat it?
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.
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 woolly mule's ears in 3 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
California, Nevada, Oregon.
Nevada counties with USDA records: Carson City, Douglas, Eureka, Lander, Mineral, Nye, Storey, Washoe.
More Nevada flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile WYMO.
- iNaturalist, Wyethia mollis: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Wyethia mollis (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Nevada: Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010).
- Nevada: Nevada noxious weeds (NAC 555.010).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Wyethia mollis (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Jim Morefield via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.