Plant Type

Broadleaf Evergreen, Shrub

 

Height Range

1-3'

 

Flower Color

White

 

Flower Season

Spring

 

Leaf Color

Grey Green, Silver

 

Bark Color

Brown, Grey

 

Fruit Color

White

 

Fruit Season

Winter, Fall, Persistent

Sun

Full

 

Water

Very Low

 

Growth Rate

Moderate, Slow

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Rocky

 

Soil Condition

Average, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

Meadow, Ranch

 

Accenting Features

Fall Color, Showy Flowers

 

Seasonal Interest

Winter, Fall

 

Location Uses

Foundation, With Rocks

 

Special Uses

Erosion Control, Mass Planting, Naturalizing, Small Spaces

 

Attracts Wildlife

Birds, Wildlife

A small, mounded shrub with curved branches, Winterfat is a Utah native that grows to about three feet tall and two feet wide. Female plants have inconspicuous flowers, but they are followed by white, hairy fruits provide considerable winter interest. Seedheads are attractive and wooly in appearance, and are persistent. Small, needle-like leaves are grey-green and hairy, giving them a silvery white appearance. They remain on the plant during winter and are shed when new leaves grow in the spring or when the plant is water-stressed.

Prefers full sun and requires little to no supplemental water; a good low-water plant for a naturally-styped landscape. Tolerant of alkaline soil and salt. It is drought resistant and intolerant of flooding, excess water, or acidic soils. Hardy to -30f, though in the summer it prefers cool nights to thrive. As this plant is well adapted to animal browsing, it will tolerate a hard prune in the late winter to early spring. Also listed as Krascheninnikovia lanata.