Creosote Bush, Larrea tridentata

About Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata) 18 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) is an evergreen flowering shrub, prominent in the deserts of western North America. It is slow-growing, with dark green leaves and the yellow flowers blooming in spring. The whole plant exhibits a characteristic odor of creosote (especially when wet), from which the common name derives.

This plant takes full sun and is extraordinarily tolerant of drought, due to its deep root system. It prefers well-draining, rocky soil but tolerates saline or alkaline soils. It reproduces by seed and also by sending up new shoots from the roots. The latter results in the creation of clonal rings, some of which are among the oldest known plants at around 11,000 years old. Galls may form by the activity of the creosote gall midge. The plant's dramatic shape can look striking in front of a wall or other simple background. It can be pruned in late summer or early winter.

Numerous insects are attracted to the flowers. Various birds are attracted to the seeds.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Shrub

Size

3.3 - 12 ft tall
6 - 12 ft wide

Growth Rate

Moderate, Slow

Dormancy

Evergreen

Fragrance

Fragrant - Pleasant

Flower Color

Yellow

Flowering Season

Spring

Wildlife Supported

Numerous insects are attracted to the flowers. Various birds are attracted to the seeds.
Bee gardens

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 1 confirmed

, 2 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Thyridopteryx meadiiThyridopteryx meadii

Creosote Moth Digrammia colorataDigrammia colorata

Stenoporpia pulchellaStenoporpia pulchella

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun

Moisture

Low, Very Low

Summer Irrigation

Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries

Carried by 18

Ease of Care

Moderately Easy

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to 10° F

Soil Drainage

Fast

Soil Description

Almost always found in rocky, sandy or gravelly soil. Tolerates Saline Soil,Tolerates Sodic Soil. Soil PH: 6.5 - 8.5

Common uses

Hedges, Deer Resistant, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants

Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis), Desert Lavender (Condea emoryi), California Fan Palm (Washingtonia filifera), Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens), Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis), Blue Paloverde (Parkinsonia florida), WhIte Bursage (Ambrosia dumosa), Chuparosa (Justicia californica), Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus), Desert Agave (Agave deserti), BrIttlebush (Encelia farinosa), Indigo Bush (Psorothamnus spp.), Smoke Tree (Psorothamnus spinosus), Apricot Mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua), Opuntia spp., numerous annual wildflowers

Maintenance

Prune to shape in late fall or early winter

Propagation?

For propagating by seed: Soak, preferably in distilled water, overnight; germinate in dark under hot bed conditions (optimum temperature 73°F constant). Germination percentage may be low. Germinating seedlings intolerant of water stress [Barbour 1968; Mabry et al. 1977).

Sunset Zones?

7, 8*, 9*, 10*, 11*, 12*, 13*, 14*, 18, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22, 23

Natural Setting

Site Type

Mountains, valleys, and washes of the southern California deserts

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 1.9" - 29.7", Summer Precipitation: 0.12" - 2.93", Coldest Month: 33.2" - 63.3", Hottest Month: 61.5" - 90.9", Humidity: 1.66" - 49.31", Elevation: -214" - 7070"

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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Creosote Bush

Larrea tridentata

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Creosote BushLarrea tridentata

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Creosote Bush

Larrea tridentata