Brickellia atractyloides var. atractyloides

Spearleaf brickellbush

Family: Asteraceae · Type: shrub · Native

Spearleaf brickellbush is a California native shrub found in the Mojave Desert in rock crevices, cliff faces, and talus slopes at elevations of 600 to 1,600 meters. Flowering from March to September, this plant produces pale yellow-green flowers in clusters with distinctive phyllaries. Growing with erect stems that form a compact shrubby habit, it develops a sturdy presence in harsh desert environments. Its leaves are notably variable, ranging from 10 to 50 millimeters long and 5 to 25 millimeters wide, with deltate, lanceolate, or ovate blades that can be sharply toothed or smooth-edged. The plant's adaptability is evident in its ability to thrive in rocky, exposed terrain with leaves that may be entirely glabrous or minutely glandular.

Habitat: rock crevices, cliff faces, talus slopes

Bloom period: Mar-Sep

Elevation: 600-1600 m

Bioregions: DMoj

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