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Brittlebush
Encelia farinosa
  
About Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa) 54 Nurseries Carry This Plant Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa) can be found in a variety of desert habitats, from dry gravelly slopes to open sandy washes, up to 3200 feet.

It does well in cultivation and recently has spread dramatically in areas not natural to its distribution, in large part because Caltrans has begun to use it in hydroseeding. (The range map on this page shows only what CNPS believes to be natural occurrences of this plant.)

Brittlebrush has fragrant, green-white grayish leaves 1 to 3 inches long. When this plant is covered with yellow daisy flowers, those flowers attract butterflies, and birds eat the seeds. Its common name Incienso reflects its aromatic, resinous sap, which has been used as an incense substitute in Mexico.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub

Size
Size
1 - 5 ft tall
4 ft wide

Form
Form
Rounded, Mounding

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Fast

Dormancy
Dormancy
Summer Semi-Deciduous

Fragrance
Fragrance
Slight

Flower Color
Flower Color
Brown, Yellow

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Winter, Spring

Wildlife Supported
 
Many desert birds, small mammals, and insects

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 3 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Extremely Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Very Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 20° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium

Soil Description
Soil Description
Prefers sandy or decomposed granite soil. Soil PH: 7.0 - 9.0

Common uses
Common uses
Bank Stabilization, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Creosote Bush, Ocotillo, Jojoba, Blue Paloverde, White Bursage, Chuparosa, Barrel Cactus, Desert Lavender, Indigo Bush, Apricot Mallow, Opuntia spp., numerous annual wildflowers

Maintenance
Maintenance
May be deadheaded to increase flowering, or may be pruned as desired in summer or fall.

Propagation
Propagation?
Propagates readily from seed

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
8*, 9*, 10*, 11*, 12*, 13*, 14*, 15, 16, 18, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Native to the Colorado and Mojave Deserts, it is found in very arid slopes, canyons, washes and alluvial fans in fast-draining sandy, gravelly soil, often among boulders but also in pure sand.

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 2.2" - 30.0", Summer Precipitation: 0.18" - 2.85", Coldest Month: 36.3" - 64.2", Hottest Month: 62.9" - 90.7", Humidity: 1.25" - 48.98", Elevation: -224" - 6450"

Alternative Names
Common Names: Goldenhills, Incienso


Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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