Wikimedia Commons
Asteraceae
Brittlebush Flower
Encelia farinosa
Desert beauty.
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Genus
- Encelia
- Native to
- Southwestern United States, Mexico
- Bloom season
- Winter, Spring
- Type
- sub-shrub
- Height
- 2-5 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- dry, rocky, well-drained
- Water
- low
- Hardiness
- 8-11
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Brittlebush produces a fragrant resin that was burned as incense in Spanish missions across the Southwest.
- Its silver-white leaves reflect sunlight to keep the plant cool in extreme desert heat.
- During severe drought, the plant drops all its leaves to conserve water, then regrows them when rain returns.
- The resin was used by Native Americans as chewing gum and to seal pottery.
- In spring, entire desert hillsides turn brilliant yellow when brittlebush blooms en masse.
Color meanings
0
survival
1
brightness