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Plant Rubber Rabbitbrush for Its Brilliant Blaze of Gold in Fall
The western North American shrub ‘Ericameria nauseosa’ has masses of tiny flowers that attract pollinators
Rubber rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa), called chamisa in the Southwest, is a tough garden performer. It thrives in the driest and hottest sites, providing shade and cover for birds and insects with its upright shrubby form. Its bluish-gray stems and green leaves lend a silvery cast to the spring and summer garden, and the chaffy seeds persist on the shrub through winter, providing much-needed food for small songbirds when little natural food is available.
Rubber rabbitbrush is the star of the late-summer and fall garden, though, providing weeks of brilliant color from late July through October with its crown of massed gold flowers that last for months. Each tiny, tubular blossom is loaded with nutritious pollen and nectar, providing what plantswoman and author Lauren Springer Ogden calls “the last bar open” for pollinators of all kinds. Butterflies, native bees, honeybees, beetles, moths and even hummingbirds flock to rubber rabbitbrush in the fall when few other food-producing flowers are still blooming.
Rubber rabbitbrush is the star of the late-summer and fall garden, though, providing weeks of brilliant color from late July through October with its crown of massed gold flowers that last for months. Each tiny, tubular blossom is loaded with nutritious pollen and nectar, providing what plantswoman and author Lauren Springer Ogden calls “the last bar open” for pollinators of all kinds. Butterflies, native bees, honeybees, beetles, moths and even hummingbirds flock to rubber rabbitbrush in the fall when few other food-producing flowers are still blooming.
Benefits and tolerances: Tolerates summer heat and extensive drought; thrives in well-drained, nutrient-poor soils; resprouts readily after being browsed by deer or rabbits; flowers attract pollinators; sage-grouse and other small wildlife use its bush canopy for cover, especially in fall; small songbirds like bushtits and juncos seek out its seeds in late winter
Seasonal interest: Blue-gray to silver-green foliage in spring; white- or blue-tinged stems lend a cool cast to summer gardens. By midsummer the whole top of the plant is a mass of yellow buds, opening in brilliant gold as summer turns into fall.
When to plant: Fall in the northern half of its range; spring in the southern half
Seasonal interest: Blue-gray to silver-green foliage in spring; white- or blue-tinged stems lend a cool cast to summer gardens. By midsummer the whole top of the plant is a mass of yellow buds, opening in brilliant gold as summer turns into fall.
When to plant: Fall in the northern half of its range; spring in the southern half
Distinguishing traits. Rubber rabbitbrush’s crown of golden flowers is distinctive in bloom, with each of the many upright stems terminating in a cluster of small flowers. It’s a butterfly and bee magnet in late summer and fall, when few other flowers offer pollen, making this shrub critical to the survival of these pollinators.
The shrub’s green to blue-green leaves are linear and sprout alternately from the stems. Shrubs are single-stemmed when young and then become multibranched and bushy. Each stem is covered with a white to bluish fur of hairs that protects it from sunburn and dehydration. The flowers and foliage emit a super-sweet citrusy fragrance that some people find distasteful, hence the species name nauseosa.
The natural rubber compound filling the shrub’s tissues deters grazers and was studied for commercial production during World War II.
The shrub’s green to blue-green leaves are linear and sprout alternately from the stems. Shrubs are single-stemmed when young and then become multibranched and bushy. Each stem is covered with a white to bluish fur of hairs that protects it from sunburn and dehydration. The flowers and foliage emit a super-sweet citrusy fragrance that some people find distasteful, hence the species name nauseosa.
The natural rubber compound filling the shrub’s tissues deters grazers and was studied for commercial production during World War II.
How to use it. Rubber rabbitbrush thrives in hot, dry locations at the back of a border, where it can grow tall and bushy, or in drifts in a meadow or a prairie-style garden. The golden blossoms are brilliant in fall and will draw attention whether you plant a single plant or a whole cluster. Rubber rabbitbrush can also be used as a hedge along a fence. If it becomes leggy, simply prune it back to a few main stems in early spring, and it will fill out by summer.
The shrub’s tolerance for severely dry conditions and nutrient-poor soils makes it ideal for reclaiming difficult sites and for sustainable or xeriscape gardens. Its abundant leaf litter also adds organic matter to improve the soil.
The shrub’s tolerance for severely dry conditions and nutrient-poor soils makes it ideal for reclaiming difficult sites and for sustainable or xeriscape gardens. Its abundant leaf litter also adds organic matter to improve the soil.
Pair rubber rabbitbrush with asters for a beautiful purple and gold fall display that brings a touch of the Southwest. It also complements blanketflower (Gaillardia aristata), threadleaf giant hyssop (Agastache rupestris) and other Agastaches, and tall bunch grasses, including little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium).
Navajo weavers use rubber rabbitbrush flowers to make a bright yellow dye. The shrub’s stems are also used to weave baskets, the foliage can be made into a medicinal tea, and young stems can be chewed like gum.
Planting notes. Rubber rabbitbrush prefers nonamended soil and can even tolerate some alkalinity. As with many drought-tolerant native plants, if it’s grown in rich garden soil, it will quickly grow large but die sooner. Fall plantings are most successful, except in the northern parts of the Rockies. Prune the shrub in early spring so that the seeds remain over the winter to feed songbirds.
Navajo weavers use rubber rabbitbrush flowers to make a bright yellow dye. The shrub’s stems are also used to weave baskets, the foliage can be made into a medicinal tea, and young stems can be chewed like gum.
Planting notes. Rubber rabbitbrush prefers nonamended soil and can even tolerate some alkalinity. As with many drought-tolerant native plants, if it’s grown in rich garden soil, it will quickly grow large but die sooner. Fall plantings are most successful, except in the northern parts of the Rockies. Prune the shrub in early spring so that the seeds remain over the winter to feed songbirds.
Baby blue rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa var. nauseosa), a natural dwarf form introduced by Plant Select, offers the masses of tiny golden flowers of the species, plus the lovely bluish or silver-green cast of the stems, but has a smaller size and tidier shape more suitable for borders or formal gardens. Baby blue tops out at 24 inches tall and 30 inches wide, and is as drought-tolerant as the species. It may not be quite as hardy, though, as it’s rated to tolerate zones 4 to 9.
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Common names: Rubber rabbitbrush, chamisa, gray rabbitbrush
Origin: Native across western North America, from Texas north through the western Great Plains to Saskatchewan, and west to British Columbia and the Pacific Coast states
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 45 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 42 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 2 to 8; find your zone)
Water requirement: Prefers dry soil once established
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: Extremely variable; 1 foot to 8 feet tall and 3 feet wide