Scientific Family
Asteraceae
Synonyms
E. frutescens var. virginensis, E. virginensis var. virginensis
Plant type
Shrubs
Riparian
No
Plant Description
Origin
Native
Similar species
E. farinosa
Much branched shrub with slender hairy branches; young stems with simple spreading hairs. Virgin River brittlebush shares the majority of its native range with and appears similar to the related brittlebush E. farinosa.
A smaller mature plant size, solitary flower heads at the end of hairy stems with both disk and ray flowers and a whorl of bracts subtending the flower head that is not glandular distinguishes this from other Encelia species.
Height
3 feet
Width
3 feet
Habitat
Habitat description
Plant is found in desert flats, on rocky slopes, and along roadsides in sandy, dry and well drained soil.
Plant Community
Grasslands
Disturbed Areas
Desert Scrub
Low elevation
1000
High elevation
5000
Leaves
Leaf color
Grayish-green to bluish-gray
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf shape
Round or oval
Leaf margin
Smooth
Leaf hairs
Top and bottom of leaves
Spines
No
Leaf Drop
Evergreen
Leaves are scattered along the stem, 1/2 to 1 inch long, narrowly ovate to triangular, grayish-green and covered in short fine hairs.
Flowers
Flower color
Yellow with orange disc flowers
Flower shape
Daisy or dandelion-like
Tubular
No
First bloom month
March
Last bloom month
June
Ray flowers 11 to 21 per bloom; petals less than 1/2 inch long. Disc flower corollas are less than 1/4 inch across.
Flower clusters
None
Fruit
Fruit color
Dark brown to black
Fruit type
Achene
Seed is oval or wedge-shaped, hairy. Rarely 1 to 2 bristle-like awns.