Grindelia stricta var. platyphylla, Beach Gum Daisy

One of the toughest, most useful low-growing ground-covers, this plant is also known as coastal gumplant. It makes a dazzling yellow display in August on dunes and slopes of Pt. Reyes peninsula and on the north and south coasts.  It grows under one foot tall and spreads to three feet, with succulent leaves and daisy-like large bright-yellow flowers in spring and summer. Easy to grow. Use in place of the nastily invasive capeweed.

It is a good nectar plant for native bees and honeybees, butterflies, and the birds love the sunflower-like seeds. Its extremely neat and tidy habit makes it an excellent companion with other species of similar habit from California's dunes, like beach aster, Erigeron glaucus, dwarf coyote bush, coast aster, Corethrogyne californica. In a sunny area, expect it to be a real pollinator magnet.

Like other gumplants, it has a tiny drop of resin on each flower, hence the common name. We carry plants and seeds of this species.