Oregon Gumweed (Grindelia stricta) is a California native plant that the Coastal Watershed Council is establishing along the banks of the lower San Lorenzo River to improve the health and diversity of the river ecosystem. Learn more about this beneficial plant that you may spot growing along the river!
Description
Oregon Gumweed is a flowering plant in the daisy and sunflower family, and is also known as Coastal Gumweed. Gumweed is native to the west coast of North America and can be found from California to Alaska in coastal plant communities such as along marshes and beaches. This plant has multiple forms, growing in low clumps or sprawling bushes that can be a meter high or more. Its leaves and stems can range in color from green to rusty red or purple, and the plant may be hairy or hairless. The yellow “flowers” are actually collections of hundreds of tiny central disk flowers surrounded by ray flowers. Gumweed gets its name from its very sticky buds that were once used as an adhesive.
Ecological Function
Oregon Gumweed is an essential pollinator plant that benefits native bees, butterflies, and birds. On the Lower San Lorenzo River, CWC staff and volunteers have observed this plant to have 20 unique pollinators feeding on it at a time! In coastal regions, Oregon Gumweed can remain green all year with little or no summer watering. If planted in warmer regions, it will need moderate to occasional summer watering after it is established. This hardy plant is a good addition to hillsides for erosion control, it can tolerate sandy, salty, rocky, loam and clay soils, and is also deer-resistant. You can look at Oregon Gumweed as part of the glue holding the ecosystem together!
Traditional Uses
Native Americans have used the sticky buds and flowers of gumplant to treat respiratory, skin, urinary, and digestive afflictions, including asthma, bronchitis, kidney problems, bladder infections, poison oak, and general cuts and sores. Gumweed is considered useful for relieving coughs by relaxing bronchial passages and clearing mucus to make breathing easier. The Shoshone and the Blackfeet Native Americans of California would make a medicinal tea from the leaves and the sticky flowers as a remedy for colds. The plant is also a popular traditional treatment for poison oak rashes because it contains antimicrobial agents and eases inflammation. Gumweed is still used today as a modern remedy for poison oak, and is the main “itch relieving” ingredient in Tecnu, a skin product for treating poison oak and ivy.
What Can You Do?
You can make a difference for the San Lorenzo River ecosystem by helping to remove invasive plants and establish native species like Oregon Gumweed. Join the Coastal Watershed Council’s monthly volunteer River Health Days along the banks of the San Lorenzo River and take action to enhance river habitat. CWC volunteers are helping to slow the spread of invasive plants and foster the growth of native plants that provide bank stability, food, shade, and shelter. Native plants contribute to a healthier San Lorenzo River habitat for plants, insects, wildlife, and fish!
References
Calscape. (n.d.). Grindelia stricta var. stricta (Oregon Gumweed). Retrieved from https://calscape.org/Grindelia-stricta-var.-stricta-(Oregon-Gumweed)
Reid, S., V. Wishingrad, and S. McCabe. (2009). Plant Uses: California. Native American Uses of California Plants – Ethnobotany. UC Santa Cruz Arboretum.