Brittlebush
Encelia farinosa
Early Spanish friars used the dried resin from this plant as incense in missions, leading to its common Spanish name, 'Incienso'.
- Scientific name
- Encelia farinosa
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Asterales › Asteraceae › Encelia
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- desert
- Habitat
- Arid slopes, desert washes, and rocky bajadas in the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico.
- Diet
- Photosynthetic (sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide).
- Range
- Sonoran Desert, Mojave Desert, Arizona, California, Baja California, Sonora
- Size
- 30 to 150 cm tall and wide, forming a rounded mound.
- Lifespan
- 10 to 30 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat loss due to urban development and competition with invasive Mediterranean grasses which increase fire frequency.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and safe to approach. Observe the silvery leaves which reflect sunlight to keep the plant cool. Avoid stepping on the base, as the woody stems are extremely fragile and snap easily under pressure. The resin is non-toxic but very sticky; if it gets on skin, wash with soap and water.
Encelia farinosa (commonly known as brittlebush or brittlebrush ), is a common desert shrub of northern Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa, and Hidalgo) and the southwestern United States (California, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada).
Photo: no rights reserved, CC0, via iNaturalist
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