Brittlebush, Encelia farinosa

About Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa) 52 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa) grows from 1 to 5 feet tall, with fragrant leaves 1 to 3 inches long. It 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 green-white grayish leaves and becomes covered with yellow daisy flowers. The flowers will attract butterflies, and birds eat the seeds. Its common name Incienso refers to the aromatic, resinous sap that has been used as an incense substitute in Mexico.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Shrub

Size

1 - 5 ft tall
4 ft wide

Form

Rounded, Mounding

Growth Rate

Fast

Dormancy

Summer Semi-Deciduous

Fragrance

Slight

Flower Color

Brown, Yellow

Flowering Season

Winter, Spring

Wildlife Supported

Many desert birds, small mammals and insects
Bee gardens

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 3 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Fatal Metalmark Calephelis nemesisCalephelis nemesis

Orange Tortrix Moth Argyrotaenia franciscanaArgyrotaenia franciscana

Dwarf Tawny Wave Cyclophora nanariaCyclophora nanaria

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun

Moisture

Extremely Low

Summer Irrigation

Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries

Carried by 52

Ease of Care

Very Easy

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to 20° F

Soil Drainage

Fast, Medium

Soil Description

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

Common uses

Bank Stabilization, Bee Gardens

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

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

Propagation?

Propagates readily from seed

Sunset Zones?

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

Natural Setting

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

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

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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

Brittlebush

Encelia farinosa

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BrittlebushEncelia farinosa

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Brittlebush

Encelia farinosa