Grindelia stricta var. stricta
Coastal gum plant
(c) Don Loarie, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Grindelia stricta var. stricta (Coastal gum plant) is a native California subshrub in the Asteraceae family, recognized by subtle differences in bracts and ray characteristics from var. platyphylla.
Coastal gum plant is a California native perennial found in northern coastal California in sloughs, salt marshes, coastal bluffs, and dunes at elevations below 60 meters. Flowering from June to November, this plant produces yellow flowers in heads with 30 to 60 ray flowers 13 to 25 millimeters long. Growing 10 to 100 centimeters tall with decumbent to erect stems that are herbaceous or woody at the base, it forms variable clusters. Its leaves are long-tapered with rounded to acute tips, appearing glabrous or sparsely tomentose, especially near the flower heads. The flower heads feature distinctive phyllary tips that are acuminate and can spread, reflex, or coil in striking 270 to 360 degree curves.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; subtle differences in bracts and ray characteristics from var. platyphylla
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sloughs, salt marshes, coastal bluffs, dunes
Elevation: < 60 m
California counties: Humboldt, Mendocino, Del Norte, Monterey, Marin
Outside California: to Alaska
Bloom period
Grindelia stricta var. stricta blooms Jun-Nov.
How to tell it apart
vs Heterotheca: Grindelia has sticky gummy bracts; Heterotheca has dry, non-sticky bracts and spreading hairs on stems.; vs Agoseris: Grindelia has ray and disc flowers; Agoseris has only strap-shaped ligulate flowers (dandelion-like).; vs Erigeron: Grindelia has gummy sticky bracts; Erigeron has dry bracts and typically 50+ very narrow rays.; vs Solidago: Grindelia has large sticky-bracted heads; Solidago has tiny non-sticky heads in dense branched clusters.; vs Deinandra: Grindelia bracts curl backward and are gummy; Deinandra has spine-tipped bracts and is a tarweed.
Frequently asked questions
Is Grindelia stricta var. stricta native to California?
Yes. Grindelia stricta var. stricta is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Grindelia stricta var. stricta bloom?
Grindelia stricta var. stricta blooms Jun-Nov.
Where in California does Grindelia stricta var. stricta grow?
Grindelia stricta var. stricta occurs in Humboldt, Mendocino, Del Norte, Monterey, Marin, at elevations of < 60 m.
What plant family does Grindelia stricta var. stricta belong to?
Grindelia stricta var. stricta is in the Asteraceae family, genus Grindelia.
What habitat does Grindelia stricta var. stricta grow in?
Grindelia stricta var. stricta grows in Sloughs, salt marshes, coastal bluffs, dunes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Grindelia camporum — Common gumplant
- Grindelia fraxinipratensis — Ash meadows gumplant
- Grindelia hallii — San diego gumplant
- Grindelia hirsutula — Gumweed
- Grindelia hirsutula var. maritima — San Francisco gumplant
- Grindelia nana — Idaho gumweed
- Gutierrezia californica — California matchweed
- Gutierrezia microcephala — Sticky snakeweed
- Gutierrezia sarothrae — Matchweed
- Gutierrezia sp. — Snakeweed
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.