Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Zygophyllaceae

Genus:

Larrea

Species:

Larrea tridentata

USDA Symbol:

LATR2

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Shrub

Height:

300 cm

Light Requirements:

Part Shade

Drought Tolerance:

High

Bloom Months:

mar,apr,may,jun

Bloom Colors:

yellow

Landscaping Shrub:

Yes

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)

Caterpillars:

★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)

Hummingbirds:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented hummingbird visits (GBIF)

Keystone Species Ranking

Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:

★★★☆☆ Native pollen specialist bee species supported by this genus (NWF)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Reported Fauna Sightings

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds, small mammals, desert tortoise

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Salt Tolerant:

Yes

Fragrant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts from root crown after fire, though fire is infrequent in creosote bush scrub due to sparse fuel loads.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

poor, sandy, well-drained soil

pH:

7.0 - 8.5 (neutral to slightly alkaline)

Drainage:

excellent drainage required

Moisture:

dry to very dry

Notes:

thrives in arid desert conditions

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

None required

Germination Time:

7–21 days

Notes:

Seeds germinate readily with moisture; viability is short-lived. Best results with fresh seed sown after summer monsoon rains.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI