Grindelia
Grindelia robusta
Herbs & Roots. Native American and Western & European.
Also called Gumweed, Gum plant
Daisy-family allergy possibleGrindelia is a yellow-flowered plant of western North America, and its sticky flower buds were once used for asthma, bronchitis and poison oak rashes.
Did you know? The flower buds are coated in a sticky resin, which is where the name gumweed comes from.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Breathing & asthma. Used for asthma and bronchitis in 19th and early 20th century medicine. Early reports were mixed, and modern human trials are missing.See the research: No trials in people found yetTraditional proof
- Skin. Old folk and Eclectic practice used a diluted lotion for poison oak and ivy rashes and itching. No good human trials test this.See the research: No trials in people found yetTraditional proof
- Infections. Lab tests show activity against some bacteria and fungi. This has not been tested in people as a treatment.See the research: No trials in people found yetTraditional proof
Parts of the body
Traditional use
Native peoples of western North America are reported to have used gumweed. In the 1800s and early 1900s, American Eclectic doctors used it for asthma, bronchitis, whooping cough and poison oak rash.
How it is classified
- Herbal actions
- Expectorant, Antispasmodic, Anti-inflammatory. Energy: neutral.
How people take it
Old references used the liquid extract (tincture) in small doses by mouth, and diluted it to about one part in ten for skin use. No modern dose has been set, so follow the product label and see a clinician for asthma.
Tincture, tea and topical.
Where to get it
Grows wild in western North America, from the Pacific coast to dry, open ground. Sold as dried herb, tinctures and skin lotions.
Be careful
The liquid extract is strong, and lotions can irritate skin. Gumweed is in the daisy family, so people allergic to ragweed or daisies may react. Some plant references warn that heavy doses may irritate the kidneys. Human safety in pregnancy and long-term use is not known.
Avoid if: pregnancy; breastfeeding; children under 12; ragweed allergy; kidney disease.
Mixing with other things
No specific mixing notes on file. That doesn't prove it's safe with everything; ask a pharmacist about your full list.
The honest take
Grindelia has a long record in American medicine for asthma and bronchitis, but the evidence is old and mixed, and modern trials are missing. Modern safety studies in people are also missing, so use it with care. Asthma needs medical care, so use this herb only with a clinician's advice.
Sources
Each “See the research” link opens PubMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's index of medical studies, showing only trials and reviews done in people. The number tells you how much a use has been tested, not whether it worked. The proof rating tells you that.
Study counts checked October 2026.