Known scientifically as Larrea tridentata, and in common parlance as the creosote bush
Larrea tridentata
Larrea tridentata is known as creosote bush and greasewood as a plant, as chaparral as a medicinal herb, and as gobernadora in Mexico, Spanish for "governess", due to its ability to secure more water by inhibiting the growth of nearby plants. In Sonora, it is more commonly called he…
What does a creosote bush look like?
Creosote Bush. Known scientifically as Larrea tridentata, and in common parlance as the creosote bush, it produces small, pretty yellow flowers in spring and summer. But it is the pleasantly pungent smell, which the leaves produce as soon as a summer rain starts, that is most noticeable.
Do creosote bushes need to be watered?
The bushes have no common disease or pest issues with the exception of creosote gall. Creosote bushes are desert plants and require similar conditions. While you might be tempted to water the plant, it will grow tall and gangly, so resist the urge! Neglectful gardening is the key to a healthy, compact bush.
Why are there black spots on my creosote bush?
This creates an island of fertility that allows other plants and animals to live underneath, creating a rich soil that is full of nutrients for the creosote bush. On many creosote bushes you will see black areas on some branches.
How do you start a creosote bush from seed?
If starting the creosote bush from seed, place the seeds in boiling water first to loosen the exterior shell. Pruning is needed in subsequent years only to shape the bush or remove any dead branches.
What do creosote bushes look like?
Tiny resinous olive green leaves are the source of real creosote, as the common name would suggest. Twisted gray stems rising from a central base are sparsely foliated, giving the plant an open, airy appearance. Under favorable soil and moisture conditions, Creosote Bush can reach 10 feet in height and width.
What color is a creosote bush?
Description: Creosote bush is an open, vase-shape shrub with solitary, small, numerous flowers on grayish stems/trunks. Leaf: The leaf is a distinctive bifolate wing, tiny; usually yellow-green becoming darker and aromatic after rainfall. Elevation: < 1000 m.
Is there a creosote bush?
If you are familiar with the Chihuahuan Desert, you will recognize the creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) as ubiquitous. It is common throughout Western North America, and it's becoming even more common.
Do creosote bushes have thorns?
Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) is a large shrub with multiple, unbranched stems armed with long thorns. The shrubs are common on dry slopes and mesas, and tend to proliferate on limy slopes.
Is the creosote bush poisonous?
A powerful antioxidant substance is contained in the waxy covering of the leaves. Creosote bush is eaten by small mammals and antelope, but is poisonous to sheep and not eaten by cattle, although a livestock feed has reportedly been developed from it.
Are creosote and Greasewood the same?
Larrea tridentata, called creosote bush and greasewood as a plant, chaparral as a medicinal herb, and gobernadora (Spanish for "governess") in Mexico, due to its ability to secure more water by inhibiting the growth of nearby plants....Larrea tridentata.Creosote bushClade:AngiospermsClade:EudicotsClade:RosidsOrder:Zygophyllales12 more rows
Is creosote bush the same as chaparral?
Chaparral is an herb from the creosote bush, a desert shrub native to southern areas of the United States and northern regions of Mexico. It's also called Larrea tridentate, chaparral, and greasewood and has been used as an herbal medicine for centuries ( 1 ).
What do you do with creosote bushes?
Creosote Bush Medicinal Uses Ethnobotanical notes mention creosote was used as a cure of fever, colds, stomach pains, a general pain killer, diuretic, arthritis, sinusitis, anemia and an anti-diarrheal. Creosote bush is also antimicrobial. Thereby the plant is useful for cuts and bacterial or fungal infections.
Where does the creosote bush grow?
Creosote bush grows at elevations of 5,000 feet or lower and occupies thousands of square miles of Arizona's Sonoran desert. It is also common in the Mohave Desert in California, Nevada, and southern Utah as well as the Chihuahuan Desert of New Mexico, west Texas, and Mexico.
What is special about the creosote bush?
Drought tolerance Creosote bush is the most drought-tolerant perennial plant of North America. It can live for at least 2 years with no water at all, by shedding its leaves and even shedding branches.
Is creosote bush invasive?
Though it is a native of the region, creosote is also regarded as invasive, and the plants tends to spread into soil that has been disturbed or into areas where overgrazing by livestock has taken place.
What does a creosote bush smell like?
It's a plant unique to Tucson and other dry regions like the Mohave Desert and the Chihuahuan Desert. The plant releases that familiar musky, earthy smell from a coating on its leaves that helps it conserve water. Tucsonans love it. It's nostalgic because it smells like monsoon season.
They only “Breathe” in The Mornings
Rain is rare in the desert, and any plant has to be able to get as much of it as it can while losing as little of it as possible. The problem all p...
Creosote Bush Always Faces Southeast
Since the plant photosynthesizes only in the mornings when humidity is highest, it needs to maximize the amount of sunlight it receives during that...
Creosote Bush Will Grow in Different Shapes Depending on What It Needs
A cone shape allows creosote bush to channel rain down its stems so that the water goes deeper into the soil and the roots have more time to absorb...
Creosote Cultivates A Microbial Community on Its Branches
On many creosote bushes you will see black areas on some branches. This is a microbial community of algae, fungi, and bacteria that in exchange for...
People Once Used A Compound Derived from Creosote to Preserve Food
Nordihydroguaiaretic acid is a powerful antioxidant that the creosote bush produces for protection. When it was discovered in the 1930s, people wou...
Its Unique Smell Is The Result of Many Compounds
The smell of creosote after a good rain is the result of many volatile oils, but mostly terpene (a compound found in pines), limonene (citrus), cam...
Fire Keeps Creosote Bush in Check
The creosote bush thrives in the desert. It is so good at making efficient use of its limited resources that it will slowly overtake ecosystems lik...
How tall is a Creosote bush?
It’s a short little thing – reaching an average height of 4 feet tall. This is mainly because of the lack of water here. If it had tons of water, it could grow as tall as a man!
What does Creosote smell like?
People like to describe it as smelling like rain! This musky smell comes from a coating on the Creosote’s leaves that helps it preserve water. There are lots of oils in the plant that make up this smell. Here’s what you’ll find in this plant: Pinene – A compound found in pines. Limonene – Citrus.
Why do animals dig under creosote bush?
Out in the desert, you’ll find animals making their beds under the Creosote bush to avoid the sunlight and predators. Desert tortoises are a great example! They dig under it and borrow deep near the roots as Kangaroo rats do. Many of the animals also eat the seeds of the creosote bush.
Why do creosote plants breathe?
Well, this process also causes plants to lose water. The Creosote bush makes up for this by only breathing in the morning when the humidity is the highest. It also faces southeast all the time, so it can soak up as much sun as possible.
What is the plant that seals lids on jars?
Sealing Lids on Jars. Another way people use this plant is to extract something from the stems called lac. This lac acts like plastic as it melts down when it is heated and hardens when it is cooled. It’s left behind by an insect that lives on the Creosote bush stem called the Tachardiella larreae.
What is the compound found in pines?
Pinene – A compound found in pines. Limonene – Citrus. Camphor – Pines and rosemary. Methanol – Wood alcohol. 2-Undercanone – Spices. If you ever get to see one in person, cup your hands around the leaves of the plant and inhale.
What is the Creosote bush?
It is so good at making efficient use of its limited resources that it will slowly overtake ecosystems like grasslands and turn them into creosote shrubland. Creosote has one weakness though, fire. Creosote bush grows slowly, and if grassland that it grows in catches fire when it is still small, it will die off while the grass grows back. Because of this, creosote bush’s natural habitat is in areas where grass has a difficult time growing. But practices like fire suppression, or overgrazing that limits how much fuel there is for fire, allows the creosote bush to take over.
What are some interesting facts about creosote bush?
7 Things You Didn’t Know About Creosote Bush. If you are familiar with the Chihuahuan Desert, you will recognize the creosote bush ( Larrea tridentata) as ubiquitous. It is common throughout Western North America, and it’s becoming even more common. Creosote bush has a unique set of evolutionary adaptations that allows it to outcompete many other ...
What is the smell of creosote?
Its unique smell is the result of many compounds. The smell of creosote after a good rain is the result of many volatile oils, but mostly terpene (a compound found in pines), limonene (citrus), camphor (pines and rosemary), methanol (wood alcohol), and 2-undecanone (spices).
Why are creosote bushes black?
This is a microbial community of algae, fungi, and bacteria that in exchange for a place to live, gives the plant nutrients as rainwater flows over it and into the soil. It is from a combination of this and dust that has settled on its branches between storms that allows creosote bush to pick up 9 times as much phosphorus and 16 times as much nitrogen than is in regular rainwater. These nutrients are rare in the desert and give the plant a huge leg up over its competition.
What is the upside down shape of a creosote bush?
It can also grow into a hemisphere, an upside down bowl shape that allows leaf litter and other organic material to collect beneath its branches. This creates an island of fertility that allows other plants and animals to live underneath, creating a rich soil that is full of nutrients for the creosote bush.
Which direction does a creosote bush face?
Creosote bush always faces southeast. Since the plant photosynthesizes only in the mornings when humidity is highest, it needs to maximize the amount of sunlight it receives during that time. Its branches and leaves grow in a shape meant to capture as much morning sunlight as possible.
When does the creosote bush open its stomata?
So the creosote bush only opens its stomata in the mornings when the humidity is relatively high and the loss of water is the lowest. It is during this time that creosote bush undergoes photosynthesis, and shuts it down when the sun rises higher. This is also why ….
Where is the Creosote bush?
This bush is unusually well suited to arid desert periods and is predominant in parts of Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah and other North American desert areas.
How long does a creosote bush live?
Creosote bush can live for 100 years and produces flowers most of the year followed by strange fuzzy silver fruits. The plant may get up to 13 feet (3.9 m.) tall and is comprised of slim, brown twiggy branches covered with alternate glossy yellowish-green leaves.
How to grow a sage plant in a pot?
Soak them for a day and then plant one seed per 2-inch (5 cm.) pot. Keep the seeds lightly moist until germination. Then move them to a warm, sunny location and grow them on until there is a full set of roots.
Do creosote bushes have disease?
The bushes have no common disease or pest issues with the exception of creosote gall. Creosote bushes are desert plants and require similar conditions. While you might be tempted to water the plant, it will grow tall and gangly, so resist the urge! Neglectful gardening is the key to a healthy, compact bush.
Can you cut back creosote bush?
You can also cut it back to almost ground level if the plant is old and rangy. This will force thick compact growth the following spring. Occasionally, gardeners will try to shape the plant. Fortunately, creosote bush is very tolerant of hack pruning.
Can you grow creosote from seed?
Creosote bush is not commonly available at garden centers and nurseries, but you can grow it from seed. The plant produces fuzzy capsules containing the seed. The method for growing creosote plants requires soaking seeds in boiling water to break through the heavy seed coat.
Names
Description
- Creosote bush can live for 100 years and produces flowers most of the year followed by strange fuzzy silver fruits. The plant may get up to 13 feet tall and is comprised of slim, brown twiggy branches covered with alternate glossy yellowish-green leaves. The primary method for growing creosote plants is from rhizomes and seeds.
Cultivation
- Creosote bush is not commonly available at garden centers and nurseries, but you can grow it from seed. The plant produces fuzzy capsules containing the seed. The method for growing creosote plants requires soaking seeds in boiling water to break through the heavy seed coat. Soak them for a day and then plant one seed per 2-inch pot.
Culture
- Keep the seeds lightly moist until germination. Then move them to a warm, sunny location and grow them on until there is a full set of roots. Place the pots outside to acclimate for a few days and plant the seedlings in an amended bed with plenty of sand or gritty material worked into it. Water them until the bushes are established.
Uses
- Use creosote bushes as part of a xeriscape landscape, border plant, rockery plant or just as part of a habitat restoration.
Health
- The jointed stems give the plant a skeletal appearance and the branches are brittle and prone to breaking. This means pruning a creosote bush is important to its health and structure. Remove dead wood at any time of the year and give it a thinning when necessary.
Introduction
- This is a marvelous native desert plant that translates to dry home landscapes with sunny, hot days and cool nights.