Curlycup Gumweed
Grindelia squarrosa
Indigenous Great Plains tribes used the sticky, gummy flower heads as a natural chewing gum and brewed them into a tea to treat asthma and bronchitis.
- Scientific name
- Grindelia squarrosa
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Asterales › Asteraceae › Grindelia
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Dry prairies, plains, pastures, roadsides, and disturbed soils.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (photosynthesis)
- Range
- North America, Great Plains, Rocky Mountains
- Size
- 10 to 100 cm tall
- Lifespan
- 2-3 years (biennial to short-lived perennial)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Herbicide spraying, intensive agriculture, and urban development.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. The sticky white resin on the flower heads is non-toxic but can cause mild skin irritation in sensitive individuals. Safe to observe up close. If resin gets on your skin, wash with soap and water or rubbing alcohol to dissolve the sticky sap.
Grindelia squarrosa , also known as a curly-top gumweed or curlycup gumweed , is a small North American biennial or short-lived perennial plant.
Photo: Jared Shorma, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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