Bush encelia

Encelia frutescens

Rounded drought-deciduous shrub up to 3 ft. tall with bright yellowish-orange flowers, blooming January to September with adequate monsoon rainfall. Adapted to slow-draining sand and gravel soils with high water tables and in drainage channels; up to 5,000 ft. elevation. Primarily occurs in the Mohave Desert but also found at higher elevations in the Sonoran Desert and beyond. Often in Shadscale (Atriplex confertifolia), Blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima), Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) and Joshua tree communities. Aggressive offsite colonizer of wildfire disturbed areas via wind dispersed seeds. Seeds are eaten by birds and small mammals. Important succulent forage for desert tortoise in periods of drought.