California Compassplant

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Other Names:
Narrowleaf Mule's Ears, Mule Ears, Narrow-leaf Wyethia
Latin Name:
Wyethia Angustifolia
Size *

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

NOTE: Native wildflowers are dormant (no leaves/flowers) Summer–Fall.

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.

Pot Sizing Guide

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Planting Guide: California Compassplant (Wyethia angustifolia)

Tip: Give it full sun and good drainage and expect it to bloom in spring, then go dormant for the summer — a normal rest, not a problem.

When Your Plant Arrives

Open the box promptly and lift your plant out gently, holding the pot rather than the stem. Leave it in its biodegradable eco-pot for now — the roots are settled and don’t need disturbing yet. Give it a slow, thorough drink until water runs through the bottom, then set it somewhere bright but sheltered, out of harsh afternoon sun, drying wind, and frost. Let it rest and acclimate there for a few days before planting, so the move from our greenhouse to your garden is a gentle one. If anything doesn’t look right, please contact customer service within 7 days of delivery and we’ll take care of you.

Choosing a Site

Light: Full sun.

Soil: Well-drained, adaptable, tolerates lean ground.

Space: 12–18 in apart.

Planting Steps

Plant in fall or spring; it resents disturbance once rooted, so site it permanently.

If it came in a biodegradable eco-pot, plant it pot and all — the pot is pressed from composted cow manure, so it melts into the soil and gives the young roots their first feed. No need to remove it.

Set at the depth it grew, firm, and water in.

Watering & Care

Establishment: Light water the first season.

After establishment: Drought-tolerant; keep dry in summer dormancy.

Protection

Deer: Sometimes browsed.

Wildlife: A strong native-bee and butterfly draw in spring.

Companions: Common camas, meadow natives.

Harvest Basics

Season: Seeds in summer; young leaves in spring.

Use: The oil-rich seeds are the main food — dry, grind, and blend into pinole, or use as a flour to thicken soups; cook the young leaves as a green.