Plant Type

Broadleaf Evergreen, Shrub

 

Height Range

1-3'

 

Flower Color

Yellow

 

Flower Season

Summer, Fall

 

Leaf Color

Green

 

Bark Color

Green, Grey

 

Fruit Color

White

 

Fruit Season

Fall, Persistent

Sun

Full

 

Water

Very Low, Low

 

Growth Rate

Slow

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Rocky

 

Soil Condition

Average, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

Attracts Bees

Design Styles

Mediterranean, Ranch, Spanish

 

Accenting Features

Fragrance, Showy Flowers

 

Seasonal Interest

Winter, Summer, Fall

 

Location Uses

Perennial Border, Shrub Border, Foundation, Raised Planter, Walls / Fences, With Rocks

 

Special Uses

Mass Planting, Small Spaces

 

Attracts Wildlife

Birds, Butterflies

Turpentine bush is an evergreen shrub native to the southwest U.S. and Mexcio. It has a dense, rounded habit, growing slowly to about 3 feet tall and wide. Tiny light-green to grey-green, needle-like leaves have aroma of turpentine when crushed. Clusters of yellow flowers appear late summer to fall; attracts bees. Flowers are followed by persistent, cottony seed sheaths, which stay on the plant after the seeds have blown away. Use in a rock garden, against the foundation, or in front of low walls, as it appreciates the reflected heat.

Grow in full sun and well drained soil. It gets leggy in shady sites or with too much moisture. Doesn't require irrigating once it's established; if irrigated it should be deep and infrequent. Found on rocky slopes and well-drained mesas in the Chihuahuan desert. Takes reflected heat. Frost tolerant to 5 F. Prefers a gravel mulch. May also be listed as Haplopappus laricifolius.