Botanical Name: Purshia tridentata
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Common Name: Antelope Bitterbrush  
Plant photo of: Purshia tridentata
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Water Saving Tip:

Replace turf with groundcovers, trees, and shrubs. If you have areas where no one uses the grass, patches that do not grow well, or a turf area too small to water without runoff, consider replacing the turf with water-efficient landscaping.

  • Anatomy

  • Culture

  • Design

Plant Type

Broadleaf Evergreen, Shrub

 

Height Range

6-12'

 

Flower Color

Yellow

 

Flower Season

Spring, Summer

 

Leaf Color

Grey Green, Silver

 

Bark Color

Brown, Grey

 

Fruit Color

Brown

 

Fruit Season

Summer, Fall

Sun

Full

 

Water

Very Low, Low

 

Growth Rate

Moderate

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Rocky

 

Soil Condition

Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

Mediterranean, Ranch

 

Accenting Features

Showy Flowers

 

Seasonal Interest

Spring, Summer

 

Location Uses

Background, Shrub Border, Walls / Fences, With Rocks

 

Special Uses

Screen, Mass Planting

 

Attracts Wildlife

Birds, Butterflies, Wildlife

Information by: Stephanie Duer
Photographer:
  • Description

  • Notes

Antelope Bitterbush is a native shrub with a rounded, irregular form growing about 6 to 8 feet tall and about as wide. Leaves are dark green above and densely, woolly white underneath, leathery, deeply lobed, and evergreen or deciduous, dependig on how mild a winter we have. Flowers are simple, yellow, and rose-like, and bloom from April through July. Flowers are followed seeds that are enjoyed by birds. Bark is grey to brown. A Utah native. Use in low-irrigation areas; in poor, rocky soils as a hedge; or in natural landscapes.
Grow in full sun and in well drained, gravelly soils. Will tolerate sandy and rocky soils. Tolerates alkaline soils. Drought tolerant once established. Does not tolerate shade. Its ability to survive deer browsing would indicate that it tolerates pruning, though heavy pruning will reduce flowering as it blooms on second-year wood.