Douglas rabbitbrush

Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus

Bushy deciduous shrub under 4 ft. tall with yellow sticky compact flower clusters, blooming June to October. Adapted to medium to coarse well-drained soils and tolerant of somewhat salty sites in drainages, flats, dunes and slopes; 1,000 to 11,000 ft. elevation. Common in western deserts and semi-deserts such as pinyon-juniper woodlands and sagebrush habitats. Also occurs with Rubber rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa), Shadscale (Atriplex confertifolia) and Winterfat (Krascheninnikovia lanata). Aggressive native is often subdominant in sagebrush communities and is a useful pioneer for revegetating after disturbance, decreasing as sagebrush increases. Roots sprout vigorously after wildfire. Wild ungulates browse in late fall and early winter after more palatable species have dwindled. Important cover for pronghorn fawns and nesting habitat for sage-grouse and other birds. Visited by numerous insect pollinators and is the caterpillar host for the Sagebrush checkerspot butterfly and the moth Pelochrista crambitana.