Oregon Gumweed

It is a small yellow flower with thick stems that can be hairy, and fleshy leaves. It easily branches out and often grows in a shrub-like formation. The flower head produces large amounts of a gummy white sap (exudate), especially in the early stages of blooming.

Location: This plant grows near water on coastal bluffs, tidal flats, marshes, sand dunes, and sea bluffs. It is native to North America but found mostly throughout the Pacific Northwest and south to California. It is commonly found on many shorelines of British Columbia including the Gulf Islands. This species grows well near coastal sage.

Uses: Throughout history this plant has been used as herbal medicine both by Indigenous people of North America and otherwise. It can be used to treat afflictions of the lungs such as whooping cough, asthma, and bronchitis. It can also be used to soothe insect bites, burns, and rashes caused by poison oak or poison ivy.