A More Complete Story of Gumplant

The story of the Gumplant will never end any more than the human story will.  And it's arbitrary where one chooses to begin it.  I like to begin the annual story of Gumplant with the first appearance of buds.  Those shiny, sticky balls of re-curved hooks that appear in June.  Before budding, the plant doesn't attract my attention because there are already lots of other wildflowers blooming.  Shortly after the buds appear, they produce a solid wad of a white, gum-like substance.  From then on I'm mesmerized, always trying to capture their look with photos or drawings.  When the first sign of yellow petals starts to burst through the gum, I long for a time-lapse video camera.  The emergence of a ring of ray flowers through that gum must look spectacular.  Then, once fully open, the flowers attract a great variety of bugs - several species of bees, hover flies, and spiders, my favorite of which is the Goldenrod Crab Spider.  The gum must provide some resistance to dehydration because these flowers will look fresh for at least a month even during the hottest, driest part of summer.  I can't remember what Gumplant looks like when it goes to seed.  It must be that during that part of summer some other wildflower, like maybe Teasel or Tansy, gets my attention.  I suspect it's a kind of nondescript wilting such as happens with daisies rather than the photogenic balls of seeds typical of dandelions and salsify.  This year I'll be watching.