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Ericameria laricifolia - turpentine bush

Scientific Family
Asteraceae
Synonyms
Haplopappus laricifolius
Other common names
larchleaf goldenweed
turpentine brush
Plant type
Shrubs
Riparian
No

Plant Description

Origin
Native
A broadly rounded shrub with profuse, small golden-yellow flower heads and dense greenery. The foliage smells like turpentine when crushed.
Woody, evergreen erect and leafy shrub with a tidy, compact mounding habit. Needle-like leaves are resinous. Small daisy-like yellow flowers cover the foliage in fall.
Height
1 to 3 feet
Width
1 to 3 feet

Habitat

Habitat description
Desert scrub, mesa slopes, rocky mountainous areas and canyons.
Plant Community
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Desert Scrub
Low elevation
3000
High elevation
6000

Leaves

Leaf color
Dark green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf shape
Narrow
Leaf margin
Smooth
Leaf attachment
Alternate
Leaf hairs
None
Spines
No
Leaf Drop
Evergreen
Dense, dark green, very narrow, 3/4 inch long, sessile and very resinous.

Flowers

Flower color
Yellow
Flower shape
Daisy or dandelion-like
Tubular
No
First bloom month
March
Last bloom month
June
The golden-yellow disc and ray flowers are 3/8 inch wide and have up to 11 ray flowers and up to 13 disc flowers. They appear in a dense cluster at the end of the leafy branches.
Flower clusters
Rounded

Fruit

Fruit color
Light brown
Fruit type
Achene
Achenes are shaped like a top or narrowly lance-shaped, tan to brown and covered with white appressed hairs and topped with light brown bristles.

Bark/Branches

Bark color
Reddish-brown to grayish-brown
Bark texture
Rough
Bark develops dark gray ridges and lighter colored furrows. Stems are gland dotted.