Turpentine Bush
Ericameria laricifolia
Family: Asteraceae
Evergreen shrub growing 2-3’ tall and wide with intensely aromatic foliage. Flowers mostly in the fall with bright yellow flowers followed by tan achenes. Several horticultural selections occur including ‘aguirre’ which is a clone from southern New Mexico, chosen for its showy flowers and rich green foliage.
Best in full sun, moderate to low water, good drainage, and hardy to -10°F.
Yellow flowers are irresistible to native bees and butterflies. Larval food plant for the brown hooded owlet moth (Cucullia convexipennis).
Eric- is ancient root for heath or broom, and amari means bitter; laricifolia means having leaves like larch (genus Larix). There are 40 species of Ericameria distributed in western Canada (Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia) western United States (from the western Great Plains to the Pacific) and northern Mexico.
Photo by Max Licher, SEINET
Ericameria laricifolia on iNaturalist
Found on rocky slopes, on mesas, in canyons, and along rock walls from 3,000-6,000 ft. in southern California, southern Nevada, Arizona, southern New Mexico, southwestern Texas; south into northern Mexico.
A leaf gall on turpentine bush, photo by Eric Hough, iNaturalist
Post bloom look, tan achenes. Photo by Kyle Dettloff, iNaturalist