Tarweed
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Current Stock:
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Other Names:
Coast Tarweed, Chile Tarweed, Coastal Tarweed
Latin Name:
Madia Sativa
Available February 1, 2027.  Plants ship within 3 weeks of this date, shipped in the order they were received. NOTE: We will wait to ship your order until all your plants become available.
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Tarweed (Madia sativa) is a nutritious native seed-and-oil plant of the Northwest — a cheerful little sunflower named for the fragrant, sticky resin that scents its leaves — and one of the great traditional pinole seeds of the West.2, 4

Edible & Medicinal Uses

Tarweed's small, nutritious seeds are eaten raw or lightly roasted — use them like a sunflower or sesame seed, in dressings and sauces, over salads, stir-fries, and soups, or as a stand-alone topping, for a rich, nutty flavor. They can also be ground into flour or pressed for oil: the seed holds up to about 41% of a sweet, high-quality edible oil comparable to olive oil. The roots of some tarweeds are eaten too.1, 4

Ornamental Qualities

An attractive meadow wildflower, Tarweed bears classic small yellow, sun-ray flowers in the sunflower family above hairy leaves that gleam with their own oil and give off a distinctive fragrant, resinous aroma. It's a lovely, useful addition among other native wildflowers and grain crops.1

Environment & Culture

Ecology: Native to open, dry ground from Alaska to California, Tarweed is a tough, self-sowing annual whose late flowers feed pollinators and whose seeds feed birds.1, 2

Culture: Tarweed seeds are a prized pinole food of many California and Northwest peoples — among them the Pomo, Miwok, Maidu, and Yokuts — parched and ground into meal, and traditionally harvested from meadows tended with fire (which roasted the seeds and cleared the sticky foliage). We offer it with respect for that living knowledge and invite support for Indigenous-led restoration through our Charitable Giving page.4

In the Kitchen

Toast the seeds lightly and scatter them over salads, grain bowls, and soups, or grind them into a rich, nutty meal for pinole and baking. With enough seed, press them for a fine, olive-oil-like cooking oil. (Growing and harvest details are on the Planting Guide tab.)

Attributes

  • Native Range: Alaska to California; open, dry ground, meadows1
  • USDA Zones: Annual (grown across zones)3
  • Light: Full sun1
  • Water: Low; drought-tolerant1
  • Soil: Well-drained; adaptable, tolerates lean ground1
  • Habit: Aromatic annual, sunflower family; small yellow flowers2
  • Edible: Oil-rich seeds (raw, roasted, ground, or pressed for oil)4

References

  1. PFAF, Madia sativa; USDA NRCS Plant Guide, "Coast Tarweed."
  2. Pojar, J. & MacKinnon, A., Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, 2014.
  3. USDA PLANTS Database, Madia sativa.
  4. Anderson, M.K., Tending the Wild; Moerman, D., Native American Ethnobotany, 1998.

Pot Sizing Guide

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Planting Guide: Tarweed (Madia sativa)

Tip: Sow it in fall or early spring in full sun and lean, well-drained soil — it's an easygoing annual that self-sows, so let a few plants set seed to keep the patch going.

When Your Plant Arrives

Open the box promptly and lift your plant out gently, holding the pot rather than the stem. Leave it in its biodegradable eco-pot for now — the roots are settled and don’t need disturbing yet. Give it a slow, thorough drink until water runs through the bottom, then set it somewhere bright but sheltered, out of harsh afternoon sun, drying wind, and frost. Let it rest and acclimate there for a few days before planting, so the move from our greenhouse to your garden is a gentle one. If anything doesn’t look right, please contact customer service within 7 days of delivery and we’ll take care of you.

Choosing a Site

Light: Full sun.

Soil: Well-drained; lean is fine; not soggy.

Space: 8–12 in apart, or broadcast for a patch.

Planting Steps

Sow seed 1/8–1/4 in deep in fall or early spring; keep the seedbed moist until up, and thin as needed.

If it came in a biodegradable eco-pot, plant it pot and all — the pot is pressed from composted cow manure, so it melts into the soil and gives the young roots their first feed. No need to remove it.

Watering & Care

Establishment: Light water while young.

After establishment: Drought-tolerant; little care.

Maintenance: Let some plants self-sow.

Protection

Wildlife: Late flowers for pollinators; seeds for birds.

Note: The plant is famously sticky and resinous (that is the “tar”) — normal.

Harvest Basics

Season: Seeds ripen in late summer — catch them before they drop.

Use: The small, nutritious seeds are eaten raw or lightly roasted, like sunflower or sesame — in dressings, over salads, or ground into pinole.