Mountain Tarweed: A Hardy Native Annual for Late-Season Color
If you’re looking for a native wildflower that thrives with minimal fuss and provides late-season blooms when many other plants are winding down, mountain tarweed (Madia glomerata) might just be your new garden companion. This unassuming annual has a lot more personality than its humble appearance suggests – and yes, it really is a bit sticky to the touch!
What is Mountain Tarweed?
Mountain tarweed is an annual forb, which simply means it’s a non-woody herbaceous plant that completes its entire life cycle in one growing season. As a member of the sunflower family, it produces clusters of small, cheerful yellow flowers that may remind you of tiny daisies bundled together in dense, rounded heads.
This hardy annual typically grows between 1-4 feet tall, developing a somewhat branched structure topped with those distinctive sticky, aromatic flower clusters that give the plant both its common name and its memorable tactile quality.
Native Range and Distribution
Mountain tarweed is a true North American native, naturally occurring across an impressive range that spans from Canada down through the western United States. You’ll find it growing wild in states including California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, and many others, as well as in several Canadian provinces like Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan.
The plant shows remarkable adaptability, with different regional preferences for moisture levels. In Alaska, it’s considered an obligate upland species (almost never found in wet areas), while in most other regions, it’s facultative upland, meaning it usually prefers drier sites but can tolerate some moisture.
Why Grow Mountain Tarweed?
Late-Season Pollinator Support
One of mountain tarweed’s greatest strengths is its timing. While many native wildflowers peak in spring and early summer, this plant provides crucial nectar sources during late summer and fall when pollinators need all the help they can get preparing for winter.
Low-Maintenance Beauty
As a native annual, mountain tarweed is naturally adapted to local growing conditions and requires minimal intervention once established. It’s particularly valuable for gardeners seeking drought-tolerant options that don’t require regular watering or fertilizing.
Self-Sustaining Populations
Once you’ve established mountain tarweed in your garden, it often self-seeds readily, creating natural-looking colonies that return year after year without replanting.
Growing Conditions and Care
Mountain tarweed is refreshingly easy to please when it comes to growing conditions:
- Sunlight: Full sun is preferred for best flowering
- Soil: Well-draining soils of poor to moderate fertility; actually performs better in lean soils than rich ones
- Water: Drought tolerant once established; avoid overwatering
- USDA Zones: Hardy as an annual in zones 3-9
Planting and Propagation
The easiest way to establish mountain tarweed is through direct seeding:
- Sow seeds in fall for natural stratification, or in early spring after the last frost
- Barely cover seeds with soil – they need light to germinate
- Keep soil lightly moist until germination occurs
- Thin seedlings to 6-12 inches apart if they come up too thickly
- Once established, minimal care is needed
Garden Design Ideas
Mountain tarweed works beautifully in:
- Native plant gardens and naturalized areas
- Wildflower meadows and prairie plantings
- Xeriscaped landscapes
- Informal cottage gardens
- Pollinator gardens, especially those focused on late-season blooms
Consider pairing it with other late-blooming natives like asters, goldenrod, or native grasses for a stunning autumn display that supports wildlife when they need it most.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind
While mountain tarweed is generally well-behaved, remember that it can self-seed enthusiastically in ideal conditions. If you prefer more controlled plantings, simply deadhead flowers before seeds mature. The plant’s sticky nature (hence tarweed) means you might want to plant it away from high-traffic areas where people might brush against it regularly.
Mountain tarweed proves that native plants don’t have to be complicated to be valuable. This humble annual offers reliable late-season color, supports pollinators when they need it most, and asks for very little in return – making it a perfect addition to any low-maintenance native garden.
