Also known as Bitter-brush | ||
leaves |
flowers |
fruit |
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General
Description:
A freely branched shrub commonly 1-2 M tall, but rarely up to twice that tall:
commonly associated with sagebrush which it resembles, but blooms in the spring
with beautiful, yellow petaled flowers instead of fall as sagebrush does with
non-showy flowers. Antelope-brush has darker green leaves.
Distribution:
East of the Cascades from British Columbia southward through Washington, Oregon
into California as far south as Inyo County east through Utah into Colorado
and northward through westernWyoming, and Montana.
Habitat:
Grasslands, deserts, dry areas with sagebrush, junipers and Ponderosa Pine.
Other:
Antelope Bitter-brush is an excellent browse plant for deer, elk, moose, antelope
and domestic cattle. In overgrazed areas, it is planted by governmental agencies,
boy scouts and other volunteer groups. It can be grown from either sprouts or
seeds. Any Homo sapiens who tastes it usually comments that it is difficult
to understand how this species can be a favorite food of so many animals.