Clinging Needleflower

This short flower grows up to 3 inches (8 cm) tall. Its yellow stem is very thick and straight, and the giant, green leaves are needle-like with irregular edges. The leaves alternate on the stem from the base up to about halfway.

Each stem splits 4 to 6 times; a single tiny flower grows at the end of each split. The flowers are 3 cm (1.2 inches) wide, with each petal a slightly different shade of copper. The flower head is an uncoordinated mess of 20 curved petals. They are sturdy.

It has the faintest scent that smells like cigarette smoke, and it has very little pollen. It is pollinated by insects and is particularly attractive to bees.