Grindelia stricta var. stricta

Coastal gum plant

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

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.

Habitat: Sloughs, salt marshes, coastal bluffs, dunes

Bloom period: Jun-Nov

Elevation: < 60 m

Bioregions: NCo

California counties: Humboldt, Mendocino, Del Norte, Monterey, Marin

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