Description
Form: Shrub.
Leaf retention: Evergreen.
Growth rate: Slow.
Mature Size: 4-10' high and 6-12' wide.
Flowers: Yellow, with five wrinkled petals.
Bloom: Winter into spring, and sporadically after rains.
Fruit: A fuzzy white seed capsule that persists on the plant.
Leaves: Shiny green, two leaflets joined at their base, a resinous, waxy surface often sticky,
and a creosote smell after rain which some find enjoyable, others unpleasant.
Stems: No thorns, gray.
Roots: Very aggressive, taking so much water from the surrounding soil that seeds and other
plants cannot get established. No other plants grow underneath. New stems may sprout from its root
crown after an extended drought. The offspring of this plant tend to naturally spread themselves out
in orchard style in the wild. It is difficult to transplant.
Wildlife: Attracts bees and specialized insects, and is used as shade cover by desert animals.
Toxic / Danger: Poisonous to, and usually avoided by, grazing animals. The crushed leaves may
impart a skin rash. It is unsafe as home remedy.
Origin: California to Texas, Nevada and Utah, Mexico.
Cultivation and Uses
USDA hardiness zones: 7-11.
Heat tolerant: Very tolerant.
Drought tolerant: Very tolerant.
Sun: Full sun.
Water after becoming established: It survives on annual rainfall alone. Supplemental water every
four months in drought is beneficial. The soil should dry out between waterings.
Soil: Well drained, dry, low in organic content, not compacted, pH 6.6-9.0 (neutral to highly
alkaline). It grows best on rocky ground.
First Year Care: Young plants should be extensively watered when they first go into
the ground, then watered weekly thereafter, and receive mostly part shade for the first
three years. Young plants experience heat-caused drought stress very easily, and most do not
survive without part shade and extra care.
Prune: After the danger of frost is past, it can be sheared into a hedge, a compact shrub, or a
tree form. Trimming its stem tips makes it bushier and more attractive.
Litter: Low.
Propagation: Seed that is hulled, fumigated, and dried before storage, then scarified,
and soaked in distilled water overnight before planting. Success has been reported with
planting dried seed, not scarified or soaked, in a container in full sun, and watered
regularly. Seedlings need to be transplanted to a desert location with part shade, especially
afternoon shade, to survive in their first three years.
Uses: Ornamental, hedge, xeric garden.
Comments
This plant is a member of the Creosote Bush family (Zygophyllaceae). Creosote Bush is one of
the hardiest plants in the desert and is thought to live for over one hundred years.
Do you have additional information or a different experience for these plants that you would
like to share? Email info@GardenOracle.com. All contributions are welcome and appreciated.