Spring Madia

Spring Madia is an herbaceous wildflower growing on tall, aromatic stalks. The hairy, green stems are covered in short hairs and dotted by a few narrow leaves. The flower varies in appearance by subspecies, and even within a subspecies; however, it is typically a bright yellow and daisy-like with many tiny, long petals. The center is often a dark reddish brown, occasionally ringed by a darker stain on the petals. The ray petals curl up during the day, opening in the late afternoon and staying open until the next morning.The fruit is a small achene.

Basic Information

• Member of the Asteraceae, or sunflower, family

• Annual herb

• There are four recognized subspecies:

  • Madia elegans densifolia - showy tarweed

  • Madia elegans elegans - common madia

  • Madia elegans vernalis - spring madia

  • Madia elegans wheeleri - Wheeler's tarweed

Habitat

• Native to North American from south-central Washington to northern Baja California

  • Found in most parts of California, excluding the deserts

• Found in dry open woodlands, grasslands, and disturbed areas

Ecological Role

• The fairly long bloom time makes it an important plant for pollinators

Reproduction

• Blooms in from April to September

Alternative Names

• Common Madia, Tarweed, Elegant Madia

Historical Uses

• Many native peoples, including the Pomo, Hupa, Miwok and Shoshoni, ground the seeds into a flour, known as pinole, and baked it