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Picrothamnus desertorum

Picrothamnus desertorum Nutt.

Bud Sagebrush, Budsage

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

Synonym(s): Artemisia spinescens

USDA Symbol: PIDE4

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Low shrub; old branches thorny.

This spring-flowering shrub is quite drought-resistant. It serves as forage for a wide variety of animals, including Pronghorns, jackrabbits, and a partridge-like ground bird called the Chukar.

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Subshrub
Size Notes: Up to about 20 inches tall.
Leaf: Gray-Green
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: Apr , May , Jun

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , CO , ID , MT , NM , NV , OR , UT , WY
Native Distribution: Montana south to New Mexico and west to California and southern Oregon.
Native Habitat: Dry silty, clay, or gravelly flats, slopes in mixed desert shrub communities.

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
CaCO3 Tolerance: High

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Web Reference

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

Additional resources

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

Metadata

Record Modified: 2022-12-30
Research By: TWC Staff

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