Verbesina crassiramea

Native only to Colombia, this fast-growing shrub or small tree belongs to the daisy family and can reach about 23 feet tall. In Colombia, it grows in the Andes between about 6,600 and 11,500 feet, often in moist, fertile soils beside streams. Branches end in dense clusters of small yellow flower heads. Honeybees, bumblebees, and hummingbirds visit the flowers for nectar. Its foliage feeds grasshoppers, caterpillars, and other insects. Fruit flies can cause swollen growths called galls to develop in the flower heads; birds, including the black-backed grosbeak, eat these galls. Photographed in Colombia.