Hazardia squarrosa var. grindelioides
Gum plant goldenbush
Photo: parent species Hazardia squarrosa · Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Hazardia squarrosa var. grindelioides (Gum plant goldenbush) is a native California shrub in the Asteraceae family, recognized by discoid heads and recurved phyllaries.
Gum plant goldenbush is a California native shrub found in southern Santa Lucia Mountains and southwestern California coastal ranges in foothills, grasslands, scrub, and woodland at elevations of 100 to 1,300 meters. Flowering from July to October, this plant produces yellow flowers in involucre heads 8 to 12 millimeters long with generally recurved phyllary margins. Growing with sparsely tomentose stems that are not notably resinous, the shrub develops a distinctive branching structure. Its leaves are generally sparsely hairy on the upper surface, contributing to the plant's soft, textured appearance. The fruit features a pappus that ranges from white to red-brown, adding subtle color variation to the plant's mature seed heads.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; distinguished by discoid heads and recurved phyllaries
Habitat and range
Habitat: Foothills, coastal mountains, grassland, scrub, woodland
Elevation: 100-1300 m
Outside California: northern Baja California
Bloom period
Hazardia squarrosa var. grindelioides blooms Jul-Oct.
How to tell it apart
vs Isocoma: Hazardia has toothed leaf margins; Isocoma has entirely smooth-edged leaves.; vs Baccharis: Hazardia has yellow to purple disk flowers; Baccharis has separate male/female plants with whitish flowers.; vs Eriogonum: Hazardia is an Asteraceae shrub with daisy flowers; Eriogonum (Polygonaceae) has ball-like flower clusters.; vs Quercus: Hazardia has daisy flowers and herbaceous leaves; Quercus has acorns and woody oak leaves.; vs Ericameria: Hazardia has toothed leaves and 5-18 female flowers; Ericameria has entire leaves and 0-7 female flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hazardia squarrosa var. grindelioides native to California?
Yes. Hazardia squarrosa var. grindelioides is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Hazardia squarrosa var. grindelioides bloom?
Hazardia squarrosa var. grindelioides blooms Jul-Oct.
What plant family does Hazardia squarrosa var. grindelioides belong to?
Hazardia squarrosa var. grindelioides is in the Asteraceae family, genus Hazardia.
What habitat does Hazardia squarrosa var. grindelioides grow in?
Hazardia squarrosa var. grindelioides grows in Foothills, coastal mountains, grassland, scrub, woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Hazardia squarrosa var. obtusa — Saw toothed goldenbush
- Hazardia squarrosa var. squarrosa — Saw toothed goldenbush
- Hazardia stenolepis — Narrow scaled goldenbush
- Hazardia whitneyi — Whitney's goldenbush
- Hazardia whitneyi var. discoidea — Rayless whitney's goldenbush
- Hazardia whitneyi var. whitneyi — Whitney's bristleweed
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.