California Compassplant ~ Bundle of 3 Bare-root

The California Compassplant (Wyethia angustifolia), a narrow-leaved "mule's ears," is a bold native wildflower resembling a sunflower — bright golden blooms over lance-shaped basal leaves — with edible seeds and young greens.^2, 4

Offered as a bundle of 3 bare-root plants — see the Planting Guide tab for bare-root handling.

NOTE: Bare-root plants arrive dormant (no leaves) and without soil.

Edible & Medicinal Uses

The oil-rich seeds are the main food: traditionally dried, ground, and blended with other seed meals into pinole, or used as a flour to thicken soups and enrich breads. The young leaves can be eaten raw or lightly cooked as a potherb. The plant also has a history of medicinal use — a decoction of the leaves to reduce fever and bring on a sweat, and a root poultice for chest complaints. (It's a close relative of Balsamroot, and the two look much alike.)^1, 4

Ornamental Qualities

A handsome, sunflower-like perennial, California Compassplant sends up cheerful yellow flower heads on 1–2 ft stems above a rosette of narrow leaves in spring, then dies back to the root by summer. It's a strong pollinator plant for a meadow, dry border, or oak-savanna planting, lovely with Common Camas and native bunchgrasses.¹

Environment & Culture

Ecology: Native to the grasslands, meadows, and oak woodlands of the West, California Compassplant is drought-adapted and summer-dormant, its spring bloom feeding native bees and butterflies.^1, 4

Culture: The seeds are a traditional pinole food and the plant a valued medicine among California and Northwest peoples. We offer it with respect for that living knowledge and invite support for Indigenous-led restoration through our Charitable Giving page.⁴

In the Kitchen

Gather the ripe seeds, dry them, and grind them into a nutty meal to stir into pinole, porridge, or breads, or to thicken a soup. Pick the young leaves early and use them like a mild cooked green. (Growing and harvest details are on the Planting Guide tab.)

Attributes

• Native Range: Western N. America; grasslands, meadows, oak woodlands¹
• USDA Zones: ~6–9³
• Light: Full sun¹
• Water: Low; drought-tolerant, summer-dormant¹
• Soil: Well-drained; adaptable¹
• Habit: Sunflower-like perennial, 1–2 ft; dies back in summer²
• Edible: Seeds (pinole/flour) & young leaves (potherb)⁴

References

1. Native Foods Nursery field notes; CalScape, Wyethia angustifolia.
2. Pojar, J. & MacKinnon, A., Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, 2014.
3. USDA PLANTS Database, Wyethia angustifolia.
4. Moerman, D., Native American Ethnobotany, 1998.