White bursage

Ambrosia dumosa

Drought tolerant shrub up to 3 ft. tall with small inconspicuous yellowish-green flowers, blooming February to December. Occurs on dry, rocky and sandy washes and fine alluvial plains throughout the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts, thriving in alkaline soils; up to 5,000 ft. elevation. One of the most abundant shrubs in desert scrub communities and is often an early colonizer following disturbance, often serving as a vital nurse plant to Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata). Occupies an ecological niche similar to Triangleleaf bursage (A. deltoidea) but further west. Hybridizes with Cheesebush (A. salsola). Highly allergenic pollen.