Description

Coast gumweed grows in coastal settings from Los Angeles County and the Channel Islands north into Oregon. It grows as an open patch of stems with shiny, lance-shaped leaves with toothed margins. The daisy flowers appear in abundance in spring, and more sparsely at other times. The gummy aspect of gum plants appears on the flower buds, which have a little cap of resin on the tip before they open. There are three recognized varieties. The platyphylla variety is the most widespread. It is the most compact in form - growing to only about a foot in height or so. Like many prostrate plants, it readily roots where the stems touch the ground. The gumplants are among the more adaptable of our native perennials, accepting a variety of soil types and sun exposures. The platyphylla variety, however, should have well-draining soil and partial shade in interior sites. A weekly light spray of water in the summer mimics the coastal fog of its native range. Otherwise, all varieties of Grindelia stricta require very little water once established.