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Ephedraceae
Mormon Tea Flower
Ephedra viridis
Endurance and simplicity.
- Family
- Ephedraceae
- Genus
- Ephedra
- Native to
- Western United States
- Bloom season
- Spring
- Type
- shrub
- Height
- 2-4 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- well-drained, sandy, alkaline
- Water
- low
- Hardiness
- 4-8
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Mormon pioneers brewed tea from the stems as a caffeine-free alternative, following their religious prohibition on coffee and tea.
- Unlike most of its relatives, Ephedra viridis contains little to no ephedrine alkaloids.
- The plant has no true leaves; photosynthesis occurs entirely in its green, jointed stems.
- Native Americans used it medicinally for kidney and bladder ailments for centuries before European contact.
- It is one of the most drought-tolerant plants in the American West, surviving on less than 10 inches of rainfall per year.
Color meanings
0
resilience
1
self-reliance
2
austerity