Ambrosia salsola var. pentalepis

Five scaled burrobrush

Family: Asteraceae · Type: shrub · Native

Five scaled burrobrush is a California native shrub found in the low desert regions in dry flats, washes, and fans at elevations below 550 meters. Flowering from March to April, this plant produces small, inconspicuous flowers in distinctive burred heads. Growing to moderate height with multiple branching stems, it forms a compact and resilient desert shrub. Its leaves are adapted to arid conditions, with small, dense foliage that helps the plant conserve moisture in harsh environments. The fruit is particularly notable, featuring 5 to 9 wing-like structures arranged in a central spiral, creating a unique seed dispersal mechanism characteristic of this desert plant.

Habitat: dry flats, washes, fans

Bloom period: Mar-Apr

Elevation: < 550 m

Bioregions: D

California counties: San Bernardino, Riverside, Imperial

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.