Coastal tidytips

Layia platyglossa, commonly known as coastal tidytips, is an annual wildflower in the family Asteraceae native to California and adjacent regions of the western United States and Baja California. It typically grows 10 to 40 cm tall, with linear to narrowly oblanceolate leaves that are often hairy and somewhat glandular, the lower leaves toothed or lobed while the upper leaves are entire. The plant produces showy, daisy-like flower heads 2 to 4 cm across with bright yellow ray florets that are conspicuously tipped with white, giving rise to the common name. The disc florets are yellow, and the involucre is comprised of bracts that partially enclose the ray achenes. Tidytips bloom from March through June, often forming dense colorful displays on grassy slopes, coastal bluffs, valley grasslands and open foothill habitats. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental wildflower and is a frequent component of California wildflower seed mixes.