Plant Story--Native Wildflower, Gumweed, Grindelia

Gumweeds, genus Grindelia (sunflower family, Asteraceae) are roadside wildflowers, most common in western North America but with a few species in the East and South. A gumweed is easy to recognize: note the funny spines around the flower buds (especially visible in the picture below). In addition, gumweeds are gummy--if you touch the buds or flowers, sticky stuff comes off on your fingers.

But there is a lot more to gumweeds.

Visiting Northern California: the Coast at Inverness

Beach at Point Reyes National Seashore, California

Dunes, Point Reyes
National Seashore, California

   Point Reyes National Seashore is a lovely place. When it is unpleasantly hot in St. Louis, Denver, or Walnut Creek, you can head to the beach and find yourself cooled by the breeze off the ocean, and even looking for a windbreaker  when the clouds roll in. 

     We were there in May and we really did have these beaches to ourselves. 

beach at Point Reyes

flowers on the headlands,
Point Reyes

   
     The spring wildflowers were glorious. They dotted the headlands with color.

California poppy,
Eschscholzia californica