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Common Woolly Sunflower

Eriophyllum lanatum var. achilleoides

perennial herb View on Calscape

Care

Sun

part shade, full sun

Water

very low

Soil

Fast, Medium, Slow; Tolerant of a variety of soils including sand, clay and alkaline.

Size

1–3ft tall , 2–2ft wide

Bloom

Mar-Aug

Foliage

Deciduous

Deer

Resistant

Container

Friendly

Flowers

Prized

Native Range

Coastal Ranges and Sierra Nevada foothills throughout California from the Oregon border south to San Diego County, typically below 5000 ft elevation in grassland and chaparral.

Care Guide

Planting

Plant your Common Woolly Sunflower in full sun or part shade - it's adaptable to both. This plant is extremely forgiving about soil: it tolerates sand, clay, and even alkaline soils, so amend minimally and focus on ensuring good drainage (fast to medium drainage is ideal, though it can handle slow drainage too). Space plants 1–2 feet apart to account for their 1–3 foot mature height. Spring is the best planting window in the Bay Area.

After Planting

Water weekly during your plant's first summer to help it establish, then taper to once monthly or less once established - this is a drought-tolerant plant that actually prefers dry conditions. After year one, you can largely forget about watering in summer unless you're in an extreme heat event. The plant is deciduous, so expect die-back in winter; resist the urge to water during dormancy. The #1 mistake is overwatering: resist treating this like a thirsty perennial and let it dry out between waterings.

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