# Oregon Gumplant (*Grindelia stricta*)

The Oregon Gumplant is a bright yellow flower that grows in coastal areas. It has sticky leaves that help it stay healthy in sandy places and is loved by bees and butterflies!

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

![Oregon Gumplant](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Grindelia_stricta_var_platyphylla_3.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grindelia_stricta_var_platyphylla_3.jpg)

## Appearance

The Oregon Gumplant has bright yellow, daisy-like flowers that are incredibly sticky to the touch, especially the buds. Its upright stems are lined with glossy, somewhat toothed green leaves. What makes it distinct is the glistening, resinous coating on its flower bracts.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Bumblebees and butterflies adore its bright yellow flowers for a sweet nectar snack.
- If you gently touch its leaves, they feel a bit like sticky, glossy tape!
- Its flower buds look like they're covered in tiny, sparkly dewdrops!
- This plant loves living right next to the salty ocean water and sea spray.

## Special abilities

- **Sticky Shield:** Oregon Gumplant has a gooey resin on its buds that protects it from hungry insects and disease.
- **Salt Solver:** Oregon Gumplant can tolerate salty coastal air and soil, thriving where other plants struggle.
- **Regrowth Power:** Oregon Gumplant can quickly regrow its stems and leaves after being cut or nibbled by animals.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-100 cm
- **Spread:** 30-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 2-5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer to fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Yellow-faced Bumblebee (*Bombus vosnesenskii*) — Feeds on its abundant nectar.
- **Pollinates:** [Monarch Butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — Sips nectar from the flowers.
- **Eaten by:** [Two-striped Grasshopper](https://www.snappit.app/explore/two-striped-grasshopper) (*Melanoplus bivittatus*) — Chews on its leaves and stems.

## 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.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [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 flowers without asking an adult first.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Oregon Gumplant?

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 Oregon Gumplant?

30-100 cm

### How wide does Oregon Gumplant spread?

30-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on Oregon Gumplant?

2-5 cm

### When does Oregon Gumplant bloom?

Summer to fall

### Is Oregon Gumplant edible?

No

### Is Oregon Gumplant toxic?

Mild

### What is Oregon Gumplant'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: [Oregon Gumplant: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/oregon-gumplant)