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Perennials, Tropicals > Larrea > Larrea tridentata > Larrea tridentata

Larrea tridentata


Creosote Bush




Origin:  Southwestern United States of America and Central Mexico.
Family
Zygophyllaceae
Genus
Larrea
Species
tridentata
Category
Perennials, Tropicals
Type
Shrub (evergreen)
Canadian Hardiness Zone
Requires cool season preotection under glass.
Height
1 - 3 m
Photographs
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
MarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptember
Cultivation
Full sun and partial-shade. Well-drained and moist soil. Drought tolerant.
Shape
Upright and spreading.
Leaf Description
2 opposite lanceolate leaflets joined at the base with a deciduous awn or hair or bristle-like appendage between them. Each leaflet is 7 - 18 mm long and 4 - 8.5 mm wide.
Flower Description
The flowers are 25 mm wide with 5 petals.
Fruit Description
The fruit appears to be fuzzy.
Colour Description
The flowers are yellow. The leaves are dark green. The fruit is white.
Notable Specimens
Desert Botanical Gardens, Phoenix, Arizona, United States of America.
Propagation
Seed.
Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer)
Native Americans in Southwest believed that this plant treated many maladies, including sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, chicken pox, dysmenorrhea and snakebites. It is still widely used as a medicine in Mexico.
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