Grindelia camporum (Great Valley Gumweed)

Providing color through the summer and autumn months, Grindelia camporum (Great Valley Gumweed) is a perennial, semi-woody subshrub with erect, branching, white-varnished stems lined with alternate, lance-shaped leaves. The leaves are stalkless, often with clasping bases, up to 2.5 in. long (6 cm), and dotted with glands that produce a sticky resin. Blooming in profusion from late spring to late fall, yellow daisy-like flower heads, 2 in. across (5 cm), appear above the foliage. Each daisy is composed of 25–39 yellow ray flowers surrounding a yellow center disk. They sit above a whorled cup of sticky-glandular, green bracts, with long, spreading, thin tips. Immature flower heads are spheroid and ooze sticky, white latex that gives them a milky appearance. The flowers are an important late-season source of pollen and nectar for bees, honey bees, syrphid flies, and butterflies. They give way to small, dandelion-like achenes with featherlike tufts. The seeds are a food source for many songbirds. Great Valley Gumweed dies back in the winter to a basal rosette of leaves before returning again from the perennial rootstock. Native to California and Baja California, Great Valley Gumweed may be found in sandy or saline bottomlands, dry banks, rocky fields, plains, and roadsides. Highly drought and salt tolerant, this plant persists throughout the late summer months when other plants wither. It is an attractive perennial for use in wildflower meadows, butterfly gardens, and gardens close to the coast. It can also be used in prairie and wetland restoration projects, pollinator enhancement plantings, and hedgerows. Historically, Great Valley Gumweed has been used in herbal remedies to treat respiratory maladies, dermatological conditions, blood disorders, and minor injuries.

• Grows up to 2-6 ft. tall (60-180 cm) and 3 ft. wide (90 cm).
• Performs best in full sun in well-drained soils. Tolerant of drought and salt.
• A beautiful plant for coastal gardens, butterfly gardens, and pollinator gardens.
• No serious pest or disease issues. Deer resistant.
• Great Valley Gumweed may contain high levels of selenium, which is toxic when ingested in large amounts.
• Propagation is easiest from seed, and germination rates are generally high. Germination usually occurs at 2 to 3 weeks at 50–60°F. Seed can be propagated in containers and transplanted, or sown directly on-site in the fall or spring
• Native to California and Baja California, where it can be found in a number of habitats including chaparral and woodlands. Its range may extend into Nevada.