Two-color Rabbit Tobacco
Pseudognaphalium biolettii · Asteraceae
- Form
- Perennial herb
- Height
- 1-3 ft
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Water
- Low
- Blooms
- May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
- Pet toxicity
- Unknown
- Habitat
- Chaparral · Coastal Sage Scrub · Oak Woodland
🌿 California native
Quick facts
- Habitat: Chaparral, Coastal Sage Scrub, woodland edges
- Form / size: Soft gray-green perennial, 1-3 ft
- Sun: Full sun · Water: Low once established
- Blooms: Late spring-fall · Pollinator value: Moderate
Description
A soft, grayish native everlasting with narrow leaves and clusters of papery flower heads. The foliage often looks felted or woolly, and the flowers dry into persistent straw-colored clusters.
Wildlife & pollinators
Small bees, flies, and butterflies visit the flowers. The papery seed heads add late-season structure.
Habitat & range
Dry slopes, chaparral openings, coastal sage scrub, woodland edges, and disturbed native ground in Southern California.
In the garden
Good for informal habitat plantings and dry pollinator gardens. It has a soft, wild look and pairs well with sages, buckwheats, and monkeyflowers.
Propagation
From seed or soft cuttings. Surface-sow seed and keep lightly moist until established.
Where to see it near you
- iNaturalist — observed in Southern California
- Dry scrub, chaparral edges, and open woodland slopes.
Problems
Short-lived in rich irrigated soil. Let some plants reseed to keep it present.
Sources
Commonly confused with
California Everlasting 🌿 Pseudognaphalium californicum similar papery heads; two-color rabbit tobacco often has more distinctly bicolored, woolly-looking flower clusters. 
