Grindelia squarrosa (Gumweed)
| Also known as: | Curlycup Gumweed, Curly-top Gumweed |
|---|---|
| Genus: | Grindelia |
| Family: | Asteraceae (Aster) |
| Life cycle: | biennial, short-lived perennial |
| Origin: | native |
| Habitat: | sun; disturbed soil; fields, prairies, along roads and railroads |
| Bloom season: | July - October |
| Plant height: | 6 to 36 inches |
| Wetland Indicator Status: | GP: UPL MW: FACU NCNE: FACU |
| MN county distribution (click map to enlarge): |  |
| National distribution (click map to enlarge): |  |
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Detailed Information
Flower: 
![[photo of flowers and bracts]](/udata/r9ndp23q/yellow/grindelia-squarrosa-gumweed_0731_124415.jpg)
3 to 20 flower heads per plant, each 1-inch across with 25 to 40 yellow petals (ray flowers) around a yellow center disk, the disk about as broad as the rays are long. The narrow bracts surrounding the base of the flower are in 5 or 6 layers; bracts are spreading, strongly curved, and exude a sticky resin.
Leaves and stems:
![[photo of leaves]](/udata/r9ndp23q/yellow/grindelia-squarrosa-gumweed_0705_122245.jpg)
Leaves are 1 to 2½ inches long, somewhat variable in shape but generally oblong with a pointed tip, stalkless, more or less clasping, and typically twisted in relation to the sun's position. Edges are toothed, the teeth pointed or more often rounded. Surfaces are hairless and gland-dotted. Uppermost leaves are smaller, more linear and may be toothless or nearly so. Stems are erect to ascending, often heavily branched in the upper plant, hairless, straw-colored to tinged red.
Fruit:
Fruit is a dry, brown seed without hairs but with 2 to 8 awns at the tip.
Notes:
Gumweed is easily identified by its unusual bracts. It is typically found along roadsides, railroads, and other disturbed soils. At one time it was considered a county-level noxious weed but Round-up Ready crops took care of that.
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More photos
Gumweed plant
Gumweed plants
Gumweed plants
a pollinatorPhotos by K. Chayka taken in Lake and Ramsey counties. Other photos courtesy Peter M. Dziuk.
Comments
Have you seen this plant in Minnesota, or have any other comments about it?
on: 2009-08-27 18:36:30
We visited Blue Mounds, Split Rock, Camden, and Shetek state park this last weekend. We observed gumweed at Blue Mounds (rock county) and Camden (Lyon county). Our book lists it as gumweed but I notice some books call it curly cup gumweed. There is also a pasture two miles from where I live in Brown county that is loaded with gumweed. Is this gumweed and curly cup gumweed one and the same.
on: 2009-08-27 21:21:19
Most plants go by multiple names--some have a dozen or more common names, and may have multiple scientific names as well, all referring to the same plant. It can be very confusing.
Chances are the 2 are the same plant.
on: 2010-12-12 12:37:06
Why is this plant listed as a Noxious weed? It looks gorgeous.
on: 2010-12-12 17:37:20
In MN, "noxious" often means an agricultural pest more than an ecological pest. That was true in this case and some MN counties had declared it a problem weed for that reason.
Seems it's been removed from the latest lists, just recently released by the DNR and the MN Noxious Weed Advisory Committee. I'll drop that designation.
on: 2018-08-07 15:37:16
Found a specimen along 115th Ave a half mile north of 67th ST.
on: 2018-08-26 15:02:59
This is a retired gravel pit, a pond rather than a lake, called Lake Hallet. It's just behind Shopko Hometown in Saint Peter. This makes a pretty scene with the purple spikes of hoary vervain just finishing up and the yellow gumweed .
on: 2020-08-03 19:00:23
Have seen this twice now. It grows in disturbed soil by the Northfork Golf Course maintenance shed in Ramsey/Anoka County and saw it today along the parking lot in Salt Lake WMA in Lac qui Parle County.
on: 2020-08-25 16:03:07
This Grindelia (gumweed) has been growing in a beautiful, single contained clump on the edge of my driveway. Very surprised to see it so far north. Would like to send you recent pics, to help get documented on the DNR native plant lists. Have herbarium training so would u recommend I make a specimen? Looks identical to the New Mexico Grindelia that I collected (where I lived until 2012) Was used as chewing gum by Pueblo folks & local Hispanic friends. Kinda bitter though! PS. I've made contributions to your site, hoping 2 make more.
on: 2020-08-25 19:40:00
Nancy, according to the distribution map, Grindelia has already been documented in the Duluth area so it would not be a new county record, but that doesn't mean a newer specimen wouldn't be appreciated. I suggest submitting to the UM Duluth herbarium, since you're pretty close to it.
on: 2022-08-20 11:04:14
This plant is very common along Chippewa County, MN roads this summer. The flowers seem to be most commonly visited by a light brown and black colored beetle during daylight hours.
on: 2023-09-04 16:44:42
I've come to kind of like seeing this plant along the roadsides. If it is indeed native to this area I don't see the harm of it coming up this late in the year in disturbed areas. It doesn't spread into undisturbed areas that i've noticed and is the only "native" in some of those spots.
on: 2023-11-03 19:19:54
This is one of my favorite native plants. The resin has a lovely terpenoid almost coniferous scent. It can be observed at Sand Prairie WMA growing along the Saint Cloud Historic Marker and the parking area.