Yellow Rabbitbrush
Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus · Asteraceae
- Form
- Shrub
- Height
- 1–4 ft
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Water
- Very Low
- Blooms
- Jul, Aug, Sep
- Habitat
- Sagebrush Scrub · Pinyon Juniper
🌿 California native
Quick facts
- Habitat: Sagebrush Scrub and dry Pinyon-Juniper Woodland
- Form / size: Upright shrub, 1–4 ft
- Sun: Full sun · Water: Very low
- Blooms: Late summer–fall yellow flower clusters · Pollinator value: High
Description
One of the rabbitbrushes of the east side: a compact dry-country shrub that turns bright yellow when in bloom, often later in the season when the country around it has already browned out. It tends to look greener and finer-textured than the paler, white-stemmed Rubber Rabbitbrush.
Wildlife & pollinators
A strong late-season nectar and pollen shrub for native bees and other insects.
Habitat & range
Open sagebrush flats, rocky slopes, and pinyon-juniper edges across the Great Basin and eastern Sierra transition.
In the garden
Useful in dry east-side style plantings where you want late color and a smaller rabbitbrush form. Likes lean soil and sun.
Propagation
From seed or cuttings. Best in dry, open soil with little summer irrigation.
Where to see it near you
- iNaturalist — observed across California (map)
- Common in dry east-side scrub around Bishop and other parts of the Eastern Sierra corridor.
