Encelia spp.
brittlebushes
Southwestern North America and western South America
Overview
Encelia spp. is a genus of about 15 shrubs and subshrubs in the daisy family, Asteraceae, native to the deserts and dry coasts of southwestern North America and parts of South America. Plants form rounded mounds 2-5 feet (0.6-1.5 m) tall and wide, with brittle, resin-filled stems that give the common name brittlebush. The leaves are oval, often silvery grey-green from a dense coat of whitish hairs that reflect sun and reduce water loss, and many species shed them during drought. In spring, long bare stalks lift yellow daisy flowers well above the foliage, sometimes with a dark or yellow center. E. farinosa ranges across the Sonoran and Mojave deserts, covering rocky slopes. Plants are deeply drought tolerant but short-lived, often persisting only a few years, and they resprout or reseed readily after dry spells. The fragrant resin was historically used as a glue and incense.
Native Range
Southwestern North America, including the deserts of the southwestern United States and Mexico, with additional species in western South America and on the Galapagos Islands, on rocky slopes, washes, and dry coasts.Suggested Uses
Encelia spp. is used in desert, gravel, and water-wise gardens, on dry banks, and for revegetating disturbed arid ground. Its silver foliage and spring daisies suit rock gardens and naturalistic desert plantings. The flowers draw native bees and butterflies.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height2' - 5'
Width/Spread2' - 5'
Bloom Information
Flowering peaks in spring, mainly March to May, and can repeat after summer rains in desert species. Yellow daisy flowers are carried on long stalks above the leaves and draw native bees and butterflies. Bloom is heaviest in years with good winter and spring rainfall.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
Silvery grey-greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Encelia spp. grows in full sun and sharply drained, lean, sandy or rocky soil, matching its desert origins. Plants are deeply drought tolerant once established and rot in rich, wet, or poorly drained ground. They take occasional deep watering in extreme heat but need none in cooler seasons. Most species are frost tender to half-hardy, suited to roughly USDA zones 8 to 11, and may die back in hard freezes. Plants are short-lived and are renewed by cutting back hard after bloom or by allowing self-sown seedlings to replace them.Pruning
Plants are cut back by about a third after flowering to keep them compact and to remove the spent flower stalks, which renews the grey foliage. Leggy or frost-damaged shrubs can be cut back hard into old wood, from which they usually resprout. No routine pruning is otherwise needed.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 3 gallons