Isn’t it pretty? I have been really blessed this year with a bumper crop of gumweed. It grows wild in our pasture in NE Colorado and I harvest it from there as I am able to. This year, I’ve made both oil and tincture from it.
Side note – the constituents in Grindelia spp. (species – you can use more than just Grindelia squarrosa) are really thick and sticky. If you harvest this, you will immediately notice that your fingers get sticky – like you’ve been playing with your chewing gum. Sticky constituents come out better in alcohol or oil than in water. If you try to make a gumweed infusion with water, just be aware that there will be quite a bit of precipitation where it doesn’t mix well in the water. This may even happen if you use a lower percentage of alcohol. Sam Coffman suggests at least 70% alcohol for a tincture.
HOW WE USE GUMWEED
Gumweed is typically thought of as a respiratory plant ally. It inhibits inflammatory response and acts as a smooth muscle relaxant (bronchodilator). It can also help with seasonal allergies. To use it for this, inhalation may be the best route of delivery. Make a strong tea of gumweed, pour it into a shallow bowl, and put your head over it to breathe in the steam. Cover your head with a towel to capture the steam, but be careful not to burn yourself. I suppose you could put it in a nebulizer, but that would be such a pain to clean after! Even getting it off your fingers after harvesting takes alcohol. You could also add gumweed tincture to some saline nasal spray and use it that way. Add 1-2 mL to a 30 mL bottle of saline spray and use 1 spray to each nostril twice a day.
Gumweed is also good for healing tissues. It can be used as an oil or salve for allergic issues like poison ivy or contact dermatitis. To make an oil, fill a small jar with blooms, cover with oil (I use olive oil usually as it is food safe and cheaper than say, almond or jojoba), and let set for a minimum of 30 days. You can strain out the flowers before use, or just leave them in there.
Gumweed tincture: Several sources list how to use dried gumweed, but I think that would be challenging. When you use a dried herb for a tincture, you usually grind it pretty fine, and with all that resin, I think it would be a mess. I make mine with fresh herb only, so you’ll need to make it around the end of August. Fill a jar with gumweed blooms, cover with vodka or other food grade alcohol that is 60-70% alcohol and seal lid well. Shake every couple days, and let set for at least 4 weeks. It will be ready by flu season. Strain out flowers before use. If you want to be scientific about it, fresh gumweed tincture is made 1:1 – that means one part herb (marc) to 1 part alcohol (menstrum). I would do it by volume – 1 cup blossoms to 1 cup alcohol. Remember to use at least 70% (140 proof).
To use the tincture, take 10-40 drops or up to 1/2 tsp. up to 4 times a day. Gumweed will help you thin out and cough out all the phlegm that is ‘gumming’ up your respiratory system.
Gumweed has a medium toxicity level, meaning there are limits you need to watch. Gumweed should not be used for more than 3-4 weeks at a time without taking a break for at least that long. It can be irritating to the stomach and kidneys if taken in large amounts or for too long of a time.