Malacothrix floccifera aka Woolly Desertdandelion
Taxonomy ID: 15200
Malacothrix floccifera, commonly known as woolly desertdandelion, woolly dandelion, or woolly malacothrix, is a native annual herb in the family Asteraceae. It grows throughout the northern and central mountain ranges of California — including the Coast Ranges, Transverse Ranges, and the Sierra Nevada foothills — with its range extending marginally into Nevada near Lake Tahoe.
The plant typically reaches 10–42 cm in height with one to eight simple or branched stems. Its leaves are fleshy, oblanceolate to obovate, and pinnately lobed, with a distinctive characteristic that gives the species its name: cottony patches of woolly fibers on the leaf bases. The stems themselves are hairless.
Flowers appear from March through November. Each head carries 21–60 florets measuring 7–15 mm; the ray florets are often white but can be yellow, and they frequently bear faint lavender stripes on the underside. Phyllaries (the bracts surrounding the flower head) are hairless. Seeds lack persistent appendages (pappi).
In the wild, woolly desertdandelion colonizes disturbed, open areas: burns, road cuts, and exposed slopes with loose soils including serpentine, gypsum, and clay substrates, at elevations ranging from 60 to 2000 meters. Habitat communities include Coastal Sage Scrub, Mixed Evergreen Forest, Northern Oak Woodland, and Foothill Woodland. It is endemic to California (with marginal presence in Nevada) and is not considered weedy or invasive.
Common names
Woolly Desertdandelion, Woolly Desert Dandelion, Wooly Desert DandelionMore information about Woolly Desertdandelion
Where does Woolly Desertdandelion come from?
Malacothrix floccifera is native and largely endemic to California, where it occurs across northern and central mountain ranges including the Coast Ranges, Transverse Ranges, and Sierra Nevada foothills. Its range extends slightly into Nevada near the Lake Tahoe region. It is not native to any other continent or region.
How big does Woolly Desertdandelion grow?
Woolly desertdandelion is a compact annual herb growing 10–42 cm tall. It produces one to eight erect stems that may be simple or branched. Each flower head contains 21–60 florets. There is no significant lateral spread data available, but plants are generally small-statured.
What do Woolly Desertdandelion flowers look like?
Flowers appear from March through November. Each head carries 21–60 ray florets measuring 7–15 mm in length. Florets are often white but can be yellow, and many plants display faint lavender stripes on the underside of the ray petals. The phyllaries surrounding the heads are hairless, and seeds lack persistent pappi (feathery attachments). The chromosome count is 2n = 14.
What kind of soil does Woolly Desertdandelion need?
Woolly desertdandelion grows in loose, well-drained soils including serpentine, gypsum, and clay substrates. It tolerates disturbed ground such as burns, road cuts, and open slopes. Calflora notes a weak affinity for ultramafic (serpentine) soils. Habitat communities include Coastal Sage Scrub, Mixed Evergreen Forest, Northern Oak Woodland, and Foothill Woodland.
How much light does Woolly Desertdandelion need?
As a sun-loving annual of open chaparral, road cuts, and burned areas, woolly desertdandelion requires full sun to thrive. It is not suited to shade or indoor conditions.
How often should Woolly Desertdandelion be watered?
This species grows in dry, open, disturbed habitats from near sea level to 2000 m elevation, and tolerates dry conditions typical of California chaparral and pinyon/juniper woodland. It does not require supplemental irrigation in its native habitat.
How do you grow Woolly Desertdandelion outdoors?
Woolly desertdandelion is best suited to dry, open, sunny locations outdoors in California and similar Mediterranean climates. It colonizes burns, road cuts, and disturbed ground with loose or rocky soils from 60 to 2000 m elevation. As an annual, it completes its life cycle in a single growing season, germinating in late winter or spring and flowering through November.
How does Woolly Desertdandelion care change through the seasons?
As a California native annual, woolly desertdandelion germinates after winter rains and flowers from March through November. No deadheading or pruning is required; the plant sets seed and dies back naturally at the end of the growing season. Allow seed heads to mature and drop for natural reseeding.
Is Woolly Desertdandelion toxic to humans/pets?
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