The Genus Brickellia
Commonly known as brickellbushes, plants in the genus Brickellia can often be overlooked by the novice. But plant nerds love this genus because of its local diversity and interesting flowers, if not as showy as many cultivated plants. They are found in Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Central America. Many species are native to the American southwest.
They are mostly woody perennial shrubs. Some species have a very strong pleasant scent, while others smell distasteful. All contain high amounts of essential oils, used as chemical defenses against insect herbivory. Despite their chemical defenses, brickellbushes are food for caterpillars of certain Lepidoptera. These include the noctuid moths Schinia trifascia, Schinia oleagina, which is known only from Brickellia, Schinia buta, which is only known from B. californica, and Schinia gracilenta, which is only known from B. eupatorioides. Brickellbushes are excellent pollinator plants for many species of lepidoptera, bees, and more.
The genus is named for John Brickell, 1748–1809, Irish-born physician and naturalist
Most Brickellia are best in part sun, though a few, like B. californica and B. coulteri, can take full sun. Perhaps avoid reflective heat. Plants always benefit from good drainage, and brickellbushes mostly grow in rock soils. So ensure good drainage. The species we grow are all hardy for our region, as most are found in higher elevations (a few get to our elevation). This means they’re all cold-hardy in the low desert.
Photo by Max Licher, SEINET
Brickellia atractyloides is found on rocky hillsides, outwash slopes, in canyons from 3,000-7,000 ft. in southern Utah, southern Nevada, southeastern California, Arizona, and adjacent Mexico (Baja California, Sonora). Photo by Neil O. Frakes, iNaturalist
Brickellia betonicifolia is the least shrubby of them all, found on dry slopes, often in grasslands to oak woodlands, from 4,500-6,500 ft in New Mexico, Arizona, and south into Mexico. Photo by Andrew Tree, iNaturalist
Brickellia californica is found on dry rocky hillsides, in arroyos and canyons, from 2,500-9,000 ft in much of western North America from Oregon east to Wyoming and south to California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas; south into southern Mexico. Photo by bmasinton on iNaturalist
Brickellia coulteri is found on arid and rocky slopes, from 2,000-4,000 ft in Arizona, southern New Mexico, southwestern Texas; south to central Mexico. Photo by Steve Jones, iNaturalist
Brickellia incana is found in Sandy and gravelly washes and flats from about 900-5200' in California, southern Nevada, and Arizona. Photo by Jennifer Wilcox, iNaturalist
Brickellia rusbyi is found on rocky slopes, often in shaded areas from 5,000-8,500 ft in Arizona, New Mexico, and northern Mexico. Photo by Craig Martin, iNaturalist
Brickellia venosa is found on dry hills, rocky slopes, canyon walls, and limestone outcrops, from 4,500-6,000 ft in southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, southwestern Texas; down to northern Mexico. Photo by Andrew Tree, iNaturalist