Larrea tridentata
Creosote Bush · Greasewood
About the plant
What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.
Safety
- Toxicity
- Medium severity. Leaves. Unknown.Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
The plant
- Habit
- shrubPlants of the World Online
- Habit
- Perennial, ShrubPLANTS Database
- Flower
- Gold/YellowExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- Blooms
- Fall, Spring, SummerExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- Native range
- Native to the lower 48 statesPLANTS Database
- Hardiness zones
- 7-10Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Growing conditions
- Sun
- Full sun; Partial ShadeExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- Soil
- Clay, Sand, Shallow RockyExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- Soil pH
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- Moisture
- Good Drainage, Occasionally DryExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.
Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS; Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — NC State Extension.
Worth knowing
- Its sharp smell fills the desert air after rain. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Larrea tridentata
- Many clumps are clones of a single plant. Little grows under it because of toxins it releases. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Larrea tridentata
Protocol
DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993Difficulty High
Sow and cover
Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark
No stated waiting before sowing. Then 21 days to germinate.
17% germination in 21 days.
One seed of six, and it is the only treatment Deno reports for it.
How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.
Germination trials
Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials
No trials shared for this species yet.