Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentate)
by
Emma N. Olsen
—
last modified
Sep 09, 2009 01:45 PM
Scientific Name: Larrea tridentate
• Shrub native to the Sonoran Desert
• Jackrabbits feed upon leaves during lean times.
• Rodents dig their burrows beneath the canopy.
• 60 species of insects depend on the creosote, 22 species of which are bees that feed exclusively on the flower.
• The creosote grasshopper and katydid are specific to the plant.
• Medicinal plant for some American Indians.
• Plants produce clones.
• Some plants may live for thousands of years.
• Creosotes are the most drought tolerant plants in North America.
Photo: Taken at Jewel of the Creek at Cave Creek on September 29, 2007.
