rock-loving fleabane

Erigeron petrophilus is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names rockloving erigeron or cliff fleabane. It is native to the mountain ranges of California from Siskiyou County south as far as San Luis Obispo County and El Dorado County. It also grows in southwestern Oregon.

Erigeron petrophilus grows in forest and woodland, often, as its name suggests, in rocky habitat. It is sometimes grows on serpentine soils. This is a perennial herb growing many hairy, glandular, spreading stems from a tough, woody caudex. The narrow, oblong leaves are equal in size and spaced evenly along each stem. The inflorescence is a cluster of several flower heads, each just over a centimeter (0.5 inches) wide and lined with layers of fuzzy, glandular phyllaries. The heads contains many yellow disc florets but no ray florets. The fruit is a small achene with a pappus of bristles.