Bright golden shaggy flowers open on branched stems, which are leafy and upright and are generally covered in long, soft, shaggy but unmatted hairs. This rarely obtainable, late-summer blooming plant serves as an important late-season source of pollen and nectar for butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects. It grows only in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia where it thrives in wet meadows and marshlands. Its relatives in the South American Andes are equally attractive, and have white, glue-like resin covering their buds, but they prefer dry, desert-like mountainsides!
For best results, sow immediately onto a good soil-based compost. Cover the seeds with fine grit or compost to approximately their own depth. They can be sown at any time, and germination can sometimes be quicker if kept at 15 to 20 degrees C. We sow most seeds in an unheated greenhouse and wait for natural germination, as many seeds have built-in dormancy mechanisms, often waiting for natural spring germination, hence giving them a full season of growth.
Common name:Puget Sound gumweed