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Madia glomerata - Hook.

Common Name Mountain Tarweed
Family Asteraceae or Compositae
USDA hardiness Coming soon
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Dry open places from the foothills to moderate elevations[60].
Range Western N. America - British Columbia to Saskatchewan, south to California.
Edibility Rating    (2 of 5)
Other Uses    (1 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (1 of 5)
Care (info)
Moist Soil Full sun
Madia glomerata Mountain Tarweed


Richard Old, XID Services, Inc., Bugwood.org
Madia glomerata Mountain Tarweed
R.A. Howard @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

 

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Summary


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of flower
Madia glomerata is a ANNUAL growing to 0.8 m (2ft 7in). It is in flower from July to August, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Insects.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Plant Habitats

 Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Seed
Edible Uses:

Seed - raw or cooked[257]. Rich in oil, it can be ground into a powder and eaten dry[61, 105, 161].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
VD

An infusion of the leaves and stems has been used as a herb bath in the treatment of venereal disease[257].

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

Incense

The dried herb has been burnt as an incense[257].

Special Uses

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Succeeds in any good garden soil[1]. Prefers a deep open sharply drained soil in a sunny position[200]. The flowers open in the morning or evening, closing when exposed to bright sunlight[200].

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

Fahrenheit:

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Plants For A Future have a number of books available in paperback and digital form. Book titles include Edible Plants, Edible Perennials, Edible Trees,Edible Shrubs, Woodland Gardening, and Temperate Food Forest Plants. Our new book is Food Forest Plants For Hotter Conditions (Tropical and Sub-Tropical).

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Plant Propagation

Seed - sow in mid spring in situ and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within a couple of weeks.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Range

NORTHERN AMERICA: Canada (Yukon, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia), United States (Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona (north), California, Nevada, Utah)

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Madia densifoliaShowy TarweedAnnual0.8 -  LMHNM20 
Madia dissitifloraGrassy TarweedAnnual0.8 -  LMHNM20 
Madia elegansCommon Madia, Showy tarweed, Spring madia, Wheeler's tarweedAnnual1.5 0-0  LMHSNM20 
Madia sativaChile Tarweed, Coast tarweedAnnual0.8 0-0  LMHNM302

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

Expert comment

Author

Hook.

Botanical References

60

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here

Readers comment

Eloris Chisholm   Wed Feb 20 2008

This information is not what I expected. The flowers and seeds are very tiny, hardly what I'd expect anyone to eat. The plant is very noxious in it's ordor, similar to cat piss. Why would anyone want to use it as incense? I am most interested in any medicinal characteristics it may have. What are the constituents that would make it good for VD?

Ken Fern, Plants for a Future   Fri Feb 22 2008

This plant is a folk remedy that was used by the Cheyenne people in N. America as a treatment for VD. As far as I know it has never been investigated scientifically for its medicinal properties. The Crow and Klamath tribes both used the seed as a food source. They probably harvested it in the traditional way of carrying a wide but shallow container in one hand and a stick in the other, then walking through an area where various different plants were in seed. They would use the stick to beat the plants, knocking the seed into the container. The seed mix would then often be ground into a powder and cooked as a mush. It was also the Crow tribe that burnt the dried plant as an incense during various ceremonies.

Nick   Tue May 27 2008

Isn't this plant an invasive species?

   Sep 11 2017 12:00AM

I found this plant in the Oregon coast range along side of a logging road. I found the scent quite pleasant. Smells similar to marijuana flowers. I had to pick some to take home. The yellow flowers were just starting to poke out. The buds were very full of sticky resin and could smell it on my fingers hours later. I almost want to make tea out of this.

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Subject : Madia glomerata  
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