Asteraceae : Ericameria nauseosa
Files
Family Name
Asteraceae
Common Name
Rubber Rabbitbrush
Native American Name
Lakota: pȟeží ȟóta šičámna
Description
Ericameria nauseosa is a woody perennial shrub 0.5-3 m tall, having a woody base and gray green younger branches with a dense covering of appressed hairs that can look like bark until one lightly scrapes the surface. The smooth to somewhat hairy leaves are alternate, sessile or nearly so, linear to narrowly linear lanceolate, 2-6 cm long and 1-2 mm wide and marked by 1 t0 3 nerves. The inflorescence is a series of rounded terminal compound cymose clusters of heads. The pungent-smelling heads are surrounded by 20-25 bracts in vertical ranks 6-8 mm tall and contain 5 yellow disk flowers. The corolla is 6-9 mm long with 5 lobes up to 2 mm in length. The fruit are 5-angled achenes about 5 mm in length with a pappus of numerous bristles. Rubber Rabbitbrush blooms from August to October on hills and high plains predominantly in western South Dakota.
Horticulture Notes
Seed Collection: Collect seed in October when the achenes form fluffy tan clusters.
Germination: No pretreatment appears to be needed allowing spring planting, but fall sowing is usually very successful.
Vegetative Propagation: Suckers can be separated and transplanted.
Soils: Gravelly or sandy, alkaline
Light: Full sun
Water: Dry
Additional Notes
Rubber rabbitbrush, with its bright flowers and green-white stems is an attractive addition to large native plant gardens. It attracts native insects, including butterflies and small bees, but is best grown in groups or massed in larger areas, as it can aggressively spread.