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Wasowski, Sally and Andy

Ericameria nauseosa

Ericameria nauseosa (Pall. ex Pursh) G.L. Nesom & Baird

Rubber Rabbitbrush, Gray Rabbitbrush

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: ERNA10

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

A shrub with erect, slender, flexible branches covered with dense, felt-like, matted hairs (often overlooked until one scrapes the surface lightly), very narrow leaves, and small yellow heads in dense clusters at ends of stems.

Gray Rabbitbrush is a common and variable species in a genus found mainly in western North America. Some plants are light green, others have silvery hairs. Navajo people obtained a yellow dye from the flower heads.

From the Image Gallery

13 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Size Notes: Up to about 8 feet tall, often much shorter.
Fruit: Fruit is a cypsela (pl. cypselae). Though technically incorrect, the fruit is often referred to as an achene.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: Aug , Sep , Oct , Nov

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , CO , ID , KS , MT , ND , NE , NM , NV , NY , OK , OR , SD , TX , UT , WA , WY
Canada: AB , BC , SK
Native Distribution: From western Canada to California, Texas, and northern Mexico.
Native Habitat: Dry open places with sagebrush, or grassland or open woodland.

Growing Conditions

Soil Moisture: Dry

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Bibliography

Bibref 841 - Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.

Additional resources

USDA: Find Ericameria nauseosa in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Ericameria nauseosa in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Ericameria nauseosa

Metadata

Record Modified: 2022-12-26
Research By: TWC Staff

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