Mule Ears, Wyethia Family Sunflower (Asteraceae) Height 8-36 in. depending on species Color Yellow Flowers Large (2-3 in.) yellow sunflower-like blossoms Blooms mid April - May Leaves Broad floppy leaves resembling mule's ears Habitat Slopes of grasslands, woodlands and chaparral     There are several variations of Mule Ears that may be found in the area -- Gray Mule Ears (Wyethia helenioides), Coast Mule Ears (W. glabra) and Narrow-leaved Mule Ears (W. augustifolia). Gray Mule Ears and Coast Mule Ears are very similar. They are distinguished by their leaves and location. Gray Mule Ears have wooly or cottony leaves and grow on sunny slopes. Coast Mule Ear leaves may have some hairs but are not wooly or cottony and they grow on shady slopes. Narrow-leaved Mule Ears look quite distinct from these two because of the much narrower leaves. Various parts of these plants were eaten by native Americans. caption: file: x - square 0" x 0" at 300 dpi - release: contact us regarding image add image to lightbox References Mount Diablo Wildflowers. Walnut Creek, CA: Mt. Diablo Interpretive Association, 2005. Wildflowers of Norther California's Wine Country & North Coast Ranges. Cloverdale, CA: New Creek Ranch Press, 2007. Munz, Philip A. Introduction to California Spring Wildflowers of the Foothills, Valleys, and Coast. Eds. Dianne Lake and Phyllis M. Faber. Berekeley, CA: University of California, 2004. Beidleman, Linda H., and Eugene N. Kozloff. Plants of the San Francisco Bay Region: Mendocino to Monterey. Berekeley, CA: University of California, 2003.