Gumweed

Plant Info

Also known as:	Curlycup Gumweed, Curly-top Gumweed
Scientific name:	Grindelia squarrosa
Family:	Aster (Asteraceae)
Life cycle:	annual, biennial, perennial
Origin:	native
Habitat:	sun; fields, along roads
Bloom season:	summer, fall
Plant height:	6 to 36 inches
Spotted in Ramsey County at:	Long Lake Regional Park Rice Creek Trail Corridor Vadnais/Snail Lake Regional Park

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Detailed Information

Flower:

3 to 20 flower heads per plant, 1-inch across with short yellow petals around a yellow center disk. Round, curled bracts surrounding each flower exude a sticky resin.

Leaves:

Thick, waxy leaves 1 to 2½ inches long with course teeth and often curled edges, generally oval with a pointed tip. Alternate attachment with no leaf stem.

Notes:

This plant is easily identified by its unusual bracts. With its thick leaves, it reminded me of a succulent. It looked rather out of place in the middle of a field, surrounded by dry grasses.

More photos

• overhead shot of plant just coming into bloom

More yellow wildflowers. All photos taken at Long Lake Regional Park, New Brighton, MN, July-September 2006.

Comments

Have you seen this plant in Ramsey County, or have any other comments about it?

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