# Puget Sound Gumweed (*grindelia integrifolia*)

The Puget Sound Gumweed is a bright yellow flower that grows along the coast! Its sticky leaves help it survive in sandy and salty environments.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Habitat:** Coastal areas and sandy beaches along the Puget Sound.
- **Also known as:** Coastal Gumweed, Yellow Gumweed

![Puget Sound Gumweed](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Grindelia_stricta_P5332_v1.JPG&width=800)

Photo: Doug Murphy, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grindelia_stricta_P5332_v1.JPG)

## Appearance

The Puget Sound Gumweed has bright yellow, daisy-like flowers with many ray petals, often appearing sticky due to its resinous buds. Its thick, lance-shaped leaves are typically green to grayish-green, standing out against coastal sands and bluffs.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Indigenous peoples traditionally used its resin to soothe skin irritations and insect bites.
- Its name comes from the sticky sap covering its buds, which feels like chewing gum!
- Its vibrant yellow flowers are like beacons, attracting many bees and butterflies for a sugary treat.
- This resilient plant can often be found growing right at the edge of the ocean, facing salty sea spray!

## Special abilities

- **Sticky Shield:** Puget Sound Gumweed has a gooey, resinous sap that helps protect it from hungry insects and also reduces water loss in dry coastal winds.
- **Salt Survivor:** Puget Sound Gumweed can thrive in salty coastal soils where many other plants struggle, using special adaptations to handle the tough environment.
- **Tough Roots:** Puget Sound Gumweed has strong roots that help stabilize sandy soils and coastal bluffs, preventing erosion from wind and waves.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-90 cm
- **Spread:** 30-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 3-6 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer-fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Black-tailed Bumblebee (*Bombus melanopygus*) — Visits flowers for nectar and pollen.
- **Pollinates:** [Painted Lady](https://www.snappit.app/explore/painted-lady) (*Vanessa cardui*) — Feeds on nectar, helping to spread pollen.
- **Eaten by:** [Lesser Goldfinch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lesser-goldfinch) (*Spinus psaltria*) — Eats seeds from the dried flower heads.

## Traits

- [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [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.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

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

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Puget Sound Gumweed?

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 Puget Sound Gumweed?

30-90 cm

### How wide does Puget Sound Gumweed spread?

30-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on Puget Sound Gumweed?

3-6 cm

### When does Puget Sound Gumweed bloom?

Summer-fall

### Is Puget Sound Gumweed edible?

No

### Is Puget Sound Gumweed toxic?

Mild

### What is Puget Sound Gumweed's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Myrtle Edwards Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/myrtle-edwards-park) — Washington, US · Park

## 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: [Puget Sound Gumweed: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/puget-sound-gumweed)