Gumweed, Gum Plant
Grindelia hirsutula

Family: Asteraceae

What it is like

An erect perennial herb or subshrub sometimes as much as 250 cm (100 inches or 8 1/3 feet) tall but usually much shorter. Varieties: Grindelia hirsutula var. maritima — San Francisco Gum Plant, San Francisco gumplant, coastal gumweed; endemic to coastal California in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Grindelia hirsutula is an evergreen Perennial growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 0.3 m (1ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8. The flowers are pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid and very alkaline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Height (m): 1

Where it is found

Disturbed sites, forest openings, hillsides, prairies, roadsides, stream banks, ocean beaches and bluffs, tidal marshes, alkaline, alluvial, clay, or sand soils from sea level to 2800 metres.

Western North America. Widespread across Canada and in California and Oregon.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 0

Medicine

Rating: 3

Gumplant was used by the native North American Indians to treat bronchial problems and also skin afflictions such as reactions to poison ivy. It is still used in modern herbalism where it is valued especially as a treatment for bronchial asthma and for states where phlegm in the airways impedes respiration. In addition, it is believed to desensitize the nerve endings in the bronchial tree and slow the heart rate, thus leading to easier breathing. The herb is contraindicated for patients with kidney or heart complaints. The dried leaves and flowering tops are antiasthmatic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, expectorant and sedative. The principal use of this herb is in the treatment of bronchial catarrh, especially when there is an asthmatic tendency, it is also used to treat whooping cough and cystitis. The active principle is excreted from the kidneys, and this sometimes produces signs of renal irritation. Externally, the plant is used to treat burns, poison ivy rash, dermatitis, eczema and skin eruptions. The plant is harvested when in full bloom and can be used fresh as a poultice or dried for infusions etc. A homeopathic remedy is prepared from the leaves and flowering stems.

Eczema: Used in the treatment of eczema - a chronic health condition that affects the skin, causing redness, dryness, itching and infections.

Other

Rating: 3

Yellow and green dyes are obtained from the flowering heads and pods. Aromatic. A possible substitute for wood rosin, used in the manufacture of adhesives etc. This report probably refers to the resin that covers the flower buds. Carbon Farming - Industrial Crop: hydrocarbon.

Experimental Crop: Plant breeders are testing these plants to see if they could be domesticated for cultivation, but they are still in an experimental phase. Examples include milkweed and leafy spurge.

Industrial Crop: Hydrocarbon: Materials, chemicals and energy include bioplastics, rubber, biomass products gasoline, jet fuel, diesel, butane, propane, biogas. Plants are usually resprouting plants and saps.

Management: Hay: Cut to the ground and harvested annually. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.

Experimental Crop: Plant breeders are testing these plants to see if they could be domesticated for cultivation, but they are still in an experimental phase. Examples include milkweed and leafy spurge.

Industrial Crop: Hydrocarbon: Materials, chemicals and energy include bioplastics, rubber, biomass products gasoline, jet fuel, diesel, butane, propane, biogas. Plants are usually resprouting plants and saps.

Management: Hay: Cut to the ground and harvested annually. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

How it is grown

Climate: cold to warm temperate. Humidity: arid to semi-arid. Succeeds in any well-drained soil in full sun. Does well on dry sandy banks and in poor soils. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c. A very variable species, it is comprised of a number of forms that were previously recognised as distinct species but, in the Flora of North America, have all been treated as synonyms of this species. A number of these species are included in this database and, for the present are all being retained here. Species affected are Grindelia camporum, Grindelia humilis and Grindelia robusta. All parts of the plant have a balsamic odour. Carbon Farming - Cultivation: experimental. Management: hay.

Propagating it: Seed

Best place to grow:

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 8-11

Growth: Fast

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Large doses used medicinally can irritate the kidneys.

Its other names

Local names

Hairy gumplant and hairy gumweed.

Synonyms

Many but with a low confidence level.