Harmonia nutans facts for kids

Harmonia nutans is a type of flowering plant often called the nodding madia. It's part of the aster family, which includes many familiar flowers like sunflowers and daisies.

What Does it Look Like?

The nodding madia is an annual herb, meaning it lives for only one year. Its stem can grow up to about 25 centimeters (about 10 inches) tall. The stem often feels a bit bristly and sticky.

The plant produces one or more flower heads. These heads actually bend and nod, especially as the plant starts to make seeds. Each flower head has bright yellow petals, called 'ray florets.' These petals are a few millimeters long, and their tips are often split. Sometimes, they have a touch of red near their base. In the center of the flower head, there are more tiny yellow flowers called 'disc florets.'

After the flowers bloom, they produce small seeds called achenes. These seeds are only a few millimeters long. The seeds from the center of the flower head have tiny feathery or bristly tops, like a parachute. This helps them fly away in the wind.

Where Does it Grow?

The nodding madia is special because it only grows in California! It is endemic to this state, meaning it's found nowhere else in the world. You can find it in the Coast Ranges, especially around the San Francisco Bay Area and the hills just north of it.

It has been found in only a few counties: Solano, Napa, Lake, and Sonoma. This plant likes to grow in mountain areas, such as chaparral (a type of shrubland with dense shrubs) and woodlands. It often grows in soil that comes from volcanoes.