Purshia tridentata var. tridentata

Antelope bitterbrush

Family: Rosaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Antelope bitterbrush is a native shrub found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada eastern slopes, and Great Basin in sagebrush scrub, pinyon and juniper woodlands, and conifer forests at elevations of 900 to 3,400 meters. Flowering from March to July, this plant produces small white to cream-colored flowers in delicate clusters. Growing as a dense, rounded shrub 1 to 3 meters tall with spreading branches, it forms an important component of western mountain landscapes. Its leaves are small, leathery, and deeply three-lobed, densely covered with soft white hairs on the upper surface. The shrub provides critical browse for wildlife, particularly antelope and deer during winter months.

Habitat: Sagebrush scrub, pinyon/juniper woodland, conifer forest

Bloom period: Mar-Jul

Elevation: 900-3400 m

Bioregions: KR, NCoRH, CaR, SNH (e slope), GB

California counties: San Bernardino, Mono, Siskiyou, Inyo, El Dorado, Shasta, Lassen, Tulare, Kern, Plumas, Nevada, Modoc, Sierra, Lake, Madera, Fresno, Alpine, Los Angeles, Butte, Mariposa, Trinity, Amador, Placer, Tehama, Colusa, Riverside, Mendocino, San Diego

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