Tobacco Weed
Atrichoseris platyphylla
Height: 1 to 2 feet tall
Habitat: Gravelly or sandy desert soils, often on open slopes or flats
Elevation: Found below 4,000 feet
Range: Southwestern United States and northern Mexico—especially in the Mojave, Sonoran, and Colorado Deserts
Description:
Tobacco Weed is a spring-blooming annual with large, gray-green basal leaves that can look a bit like tobacco leaves—hence the name. Its flower stalks rise above the leaves, topped with pale pink to lavender blooms, each marked with darker stripes. Though part of the sunflower family, its flowers have a soft, almost dreamy look.
Uses:
While not commonly used for food or medicine, it's part of the spring wildflower display in desert regions and supports native insects. The leaves and flowers were noted by early observers for their unusual appearance.
Note:
Tobacco Weed is one of those desert surprises—plain at first, but striking once it blooms. It grows quickly after winter rains and vanishes when the heat returns, leaving behind a memory of soft color and wide leaves.
Atrichoseris platyphylla, known by the common names tobacco weed, parachute plant, and gravel ghost.