# gumplants (*Grindelia*)

Gumplants are bright yellow flowers that grow in sunny places. They have sticky leaves that help catch bugs and are often found in coastal areas.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Coastal areas

![gumplants](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Grindelia_integrifolia_3109.JPG&width=800)

Photo: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grindelia_integrifolia_3109.JPG)

## Appearance

The gumplants has bright yellow, daisy-like flowers that appear from sticky, often resin-covered buds. Its leaves are typically green, sometimes toothed, forming a bushy, upright plant. The most distinctive feature is the gooey, milky resin that often coats its flower heads.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Asterales
- **Family:** Asteraceae
- **Genus:** Grindelia

## Interesting facts

- Native Americans used the sticky resin from gumplants to make a kind of chewing gum!
- Some species are called 'tarweeds' because their leaves and flowers feel super sticky!
- Sometimes, gumplant resin can bubble and sparkle on hot sunny days!
- The name 'gumplant' comes from the sticky, gooey sap found on its flower buds!

## Special abilities

- **Sticky Shield:** Gumplants produce a sticky, protective resin that helps it defend against hungry insects and slow water loss in dry places.
- **Drought Master:** Gumplants can thrive in very dry, tough soils because it has strong, deep roots to efficiently find scarce water.
- **Natural Healer:** Gumplants have resin that has been used traditionally to soothe skin and help minor cuts heal.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-150 cm
- **Spread:** 30-90 cm
- **Flower Size:** 2-6 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late summer to fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Feeds on nectar and pollen
- **Pollinates:** [monarch butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — Visits flowers for nectar
- **Eats:** [gray bird grasshopper](https://www.snappit.app/explore/gray-bird-grasshopper) (*Schistocerca nitens*) — Larvae and adults feed on leaves

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground.
- [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
- [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch, as some plants can be sticky or messy.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify gumplants?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is gumplants?

30-150 cm

### How wide does gumplants spread?

30-90 cm

### How big are the flowers on gumplants?

2-6 cm

### When does gumplants bloom?

Late summer to fall

### Is gumplants edible?

No

### Is gumplants toxic?

Mild

### What is gumplants's lifecycle?

Perennial

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Gumplants: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/gumplants)