Bloomipedia
Parralena (Thymophylla pentachaeta)
Photo: Graham Surrey via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Parralena

Thymophylla pentachaeta

Native in the lower 48

Parralena is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–November.

7states
2of our state lists
3,239U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Arizona, Nevada

Quick look

Thymophylla pentachaeta, also known as fiveneedle pricklyleaf, golden dyssodia or dogweed, is a perennial or subshrub in the family Asteraceae.

  • It belongs to the Asteraceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 7 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Arizona and Nevada. NatureServe
  • In Arizona, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in January–December. iNaturalist
  • In Nevada, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–November. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,071 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #99 among the 109 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 548 research-grade sightings of it in Nevada, ranking #73 among the 110 flowers on our Nevada list. iNaturalist

Parralena gift ideas

Handmade parralena gifts from independent makers.

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (552 records)
Bloom time in each of our 2 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
ArizonaNativeJanuary–December1,071
NevadaNativeMarch–November548

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
Arizona
Not listed Not on Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arizona. AAC R3-3 App. A
Nevada
Not listed Not on Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Nevada. NAC 527.010
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records parralena in 7 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, South Carolina, Texas, Utah.

Arizona counties with USDA records: Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Yavapai.

Nevada counties with USDA records: Clark, Lincoln, Nye.

More Arizona flowers

Sources