Encelia farinosa
brittlebush
Overview
Encelia farinosa is a rounded, drought-deciduous shrub in the daisy family, growing 2-5 feet (0.6-1.5 m) tall and about as wide on brittle, resinous stems. The oval leaves are 1-3 inches (2.5-7.5 cm) long and covered in dense white hairs that give them a silver-gray cast and reflect sunlight, reducing water loss. In dry spells the plant sheds its leaves and resprouts after rain. From late winter into spring it produces bright yellow daisy flowers about 1-1.5 inches (2.5-4 cm) across on long, branched stalks held well above the foliage, sometimes flowering again after summer rains. The stems exude a fragrant resin that was burned as incense, the source of the Spanish name incienso. Encelia farinosa grows on dry slopes, washes, and roadsides across the Sonoran and Mojave deserts, where it is a common shrub of open desert. It needs sharp drainage and full sun and is killed by prolonged wet or hard frost. The silvery mounds turn nearly leafless and gray in drought, then green up quickly after rain.
Native Range
Encelia farinosa is native to the deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, including the Sonoran and Mojave deserts from California and Nevada to Arizona and Baja California. It grows on dry, rocky slopes and along desert washes.Suggested Uses
Grown in desert and dry gardens, on sunny banks, and in low-water and roadside plantings for its spring daisies and silver foliage. The flowers draw native bees and butterflies, and the seeds feed birds. Its toughness and drought tolerance suit hot, exposed sites and erosion control on dry slopes.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height2' - 5'
Width/Spread2' - 5'
Bloom Information
The main bloom comes from late winter into spring, roughly February to May, with yellow daisies on tall stalks above the leaves. After summer monsoon rains the plant can flower a second time. Each flush lasts several weeks, longer in years with good rainfall.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
silver-grayGrowing 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
Grow in full sun on dry, sharply drained, sandy, or rocky soil. Established plants are highly drought tolerant and need little or no water once settled. Frequent irrigation, rich soil, and poor drainage rot the roots and shorten the plant''s life. It tolerates heat and reflected sun but is damaged by hard frost, recovering from the base in zone 9 and warmer. The shrub is short-lived, often lasting five to ten years, and renews itself from self-sown seedlings. Cutting back leggy growth after bloom keeps the mound dense.Pruning
The plant is sheared lightly after the spring bloom to remove spent flower stalks and keep a compact shape. Older, woody plants can be cut back harder to force fresh growth from the base. Frost-damaged stems are trimmed out in spring once new growth shows.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing