About Ericameria pinifolia (A.Gray) H.M.Hall
Ericameria pinifolia is a species of flowering shrub in the Asteraceae family, commonly known as pinebush. This plant is native to southern California in the United States and northern Baja California in Mexico. It grows in scrub and chaparral habitats, ranging from the inland Peninsular Ranges and western Transverse Ranges foothills to the Colorado Desert. It is a green, hairless shrub that can reach up to 300 centimeters, or 10 feet, in height. Its foliage consists of clustered, needle-like leaves that each measure 1 to 4 centimeters, or 0.4 to 1.6 inches, long. At first glance, these leaves resemble very young pine needles. The leaves are fleshier than true pine needles, and the species is not closely related to pines. An inflorescence of small whitish flower heads grows at the top of each of its many erect branches. The plant blooms twice each year: it produces inflorescences holding a single flower head in spring, and inflorescences holding many smaller flower heads in fall. Each flower head contains 3 to 10 ray florets and 11 to 25 disc florets. Its fruit is an achene topped with a pappus that can be bright white, red, or tan.
