| Common Name |
Creosote bush, Hediondilla, Gorvernadora, Guamis |
| Latin Name |
Larrea tridentata |
| Family / Origin |
Zygophyllaceae
/ |
| Sunset zone / USDA zone |
10-13, 19 / 7-11 |
| Type / Form |
Bush / Large |
| Native Habitat |
Below 5,000 feet in the Colorado, Sonoran, Chihuahuan, and
Mojave Deserts |
| Soil |
Dry, decomposed granite, sand, clay loam low in organic
content, well drained |
| Exposure |
Full sun |
| Water |
None to once per month |
| Height X Width |
Maximum 10 X 10 feet, usually 6 feet X 6 feet |
| Protective Mechanism |
Aromatic oils discourage some browsers, rarely may cause
dermatitis itn some humans |
| Leaves |
Evergreen dark olive-green, aromatic |
| Flowers |
Yellow flowers in spring, evergreen, fragrance from leaves when humidity is
high |
| Bark / Roots |
Initially smooth and gray,
eventually becomes darker and splits into shallow fissures and flat
plates |
| Maintenance |
None |
| Propagation |
Seed, difficult to transplant |
| Pests and Diseases |
None |
| Landscape uses |
Erosion control, rock garden, low maintenance,
background, parkways, specimen |
| Garden Suitability |
Fragrant, Sonoran |
| Nature Value |
Soil stabilization, shelter for desert tortoise, seed
eaten by desert animals and game birds |
| Native American Uses |
Medicinal, although it has toxic qualities |
| Comments |
Leaves contain phototoxins which inhibit the growth of
other plants in its proximity. |
| Links |
|
| Images and data |
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Zygophyllaceae/Larrea_tridentata.html |
| Images and data |
http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/Syllabus2/factsheet.cfm?ID=522 |
| Images and data |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larrea_tridentata |
| Images and data |
http://ag.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/aridplants/Larrea_tridentata.html |
| Images and data |
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/creosote_bush.htm |
| Images and data |
http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/lartri/all.html |
| Images and data |
http://www2.for.nau.edu/azproject/Species/lar_tri0.html |
| Images and data |
http://cals.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/aridplants/Larrea_tridentata.html |
| Images and data |
http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/1384/larrea-tridentata-creosote-bush/ |
| Images and data |
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=latr2 |
| Images and data |
http://www.mojavenp.org/larrea_tridentata_mojave_national_preserve.htm |
| Images and data |
http://www.delange.org/Creosote/Creosote.htm |
| Nursery, images and
data |
http://www.laspilitas.com/plants/374.htm |
| Distribution map |
http://www.swsbm.com/Maps/Larrea_tridentata.gif |
| Distribution, Images,
and data |
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=LATR2 |
