Purshia tridentata var. glandulosa
Antelope brush
Family: Rosaceae · Type: shrub · Native
Antelope brush is a California native shrub found in central and eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, Tehachapi, northern Transverse Ranges, eastern edge of Peninsular Ranges, Sierra Nevada, and Desert Mountains in chaparral at desert margins, Joshua-tree, and pinyon/juniper woodland at elevations of 500 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces white to cream flowers with distinctive glandular characteristics. Growing with spreading to upright branches 1 to 3 meters tall, it has twigs covered in glandular hairs that give the shrub a distinctive texture. Its leaves are small, sessile, with sparse nonglandular hairs on the upper surface and occasional sunken glands that contribute to its unique appearance. In dry, rocky habitats, antelope brush serves as an important shrub for wildlife and ecosystem stability in high desert and montane environments.
Habitat: Chaparral at desert margins, Joshua-tree, pinyon/juniper woodland
Bloom period: Apr-Jun
Elevation: 500-3505 m
Bioregions: c&s SNH (e slope), Teh, n TR, e edge PR, SNE, DMtns
California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, San Diego, Alameda, Riverside, Tulare, Mono, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Imperial, San Luis Obispo, Nevada
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.