Grindelia stricta var. platyphylla

Gumplant

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Gumplant is a California native perennial found in coastal areas including the North Coast, Central Coast, Southern Coast, and Channel Islands along coastal bluffs and dunes at elevations below 300 meters. Flowering throughout the year, this plant produces yellow ray flowers 12 to 20 millimeters long in distinctive heads with unique phyllary tips that spread, reflex, or coil up to 360 degrees. Growing decumbent to erect with stems 10 to 100 centimeters tall, some portions becoming woody near the base, the plant forms a variable herbaceous to partially woody structure. Its leaves are generally sessile, sometimes clasping the stem, with glabrous or lightly tomentose surfaces and acute or rounded tips. The fruit is 3.5 to 5 millimeters long, contributing to its characteristic gummy, compact appearance.

Habitat: Coastal bluffs, dunes

Bloom period: All year

Elevation: < 300 m

Bioregions: NCo, CCo, SCo, ChI.

California counties: Del Norte, Humboldt, Marin, Mendocino, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Monterey, Solano, San Luis Obispo, Ventura, Los Angeles, San Francisco

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.