Shrub · Sonoran native
Turpentine bush
Ericameria laricifolia · Asteraceae
Also called: Larchleaf goldenweed, Turpentine broom
Turpentine bush (Ericameria laricifolia) is a very low-water shrub native to the Sonoran Desert region well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It grows to 2-3 ft H x 3-4 ft W (mounding) in full sun, with a moderate growth rate. Expect bright yellow flower clusters blooms late summer through fall.
Turpentine bush at a glance
- Water use
- Very Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun; tolerates reflected heat.
- Mature size
- 2-3 ft H x 3-4 ft W (mounding)
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Bloom
- Bright yellow flower clusters, Late summer through fall (roughly September-November).
- Cold hardiness
- Cold hardy to about 5 F; roughly USDA zone 7-8. Evergreen.
- Soil
- Well-drained rocky, gravelly, or sandy soils; intolerant of poor drainage. Tolerates poor, lean native soils.
- Native range
- Sonoran, Mohave, and Chihuahuan Deserts and desert grasslands of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, southern California, Nevada, Utah, and northern Mexico; common on rocky slopes.
- Best used as
- Low water mounding accent or massing, Fall-color/fall-bloom plant, Pollinator and habitat plantings, Rock gardens, slopes, and revegetation, Pool-friendly (low litter, no thorns)
- Wildlife
- Important late-season nectar source for native bees, butterflies, and other pollinators when little else blooms; provides cover for small wildlife. Rabbit resistant.
- Toxicity
- Resinous, aromatic (turpentine-scented) foliage; not a notable toxicity concern and generally unpalatable to browsers.
How to grow Turpentine bush in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Extremely drought tolerant once established; needs little to no supplemental irrigation in the low desert. Water deeply and infrequently (roughly monthly or less in summer) the first season, then taper off. Overwatering causes legginess and rot.
Fertilizer & nutrients
None needed; this lean-soil native performs best without fertilizer, which only promotes weak, floppy growth.
Pruning & care
Lightly shear or tip-prune in late winter/early spring to maintain a compact mound and refresh form; avoid hard pruning into bare old wood. Do not prune in fall, which removes the bloom.
Notes
Named for its turpentine-scented, resinous larch-like foliage. Evergreen, fine-textured mound that bursts into golden bloom in fall. One of the most reliable very-low-water small natives for Tucson; keep it dry and in full sun.
Sources: AMWUA 'Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert' (Ericameria laricifolia); Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum; University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; SEINet / Southwest desert flora references