Winterfat
Krascheninnikovia lanata
Winterfat is a cool-season, long-lived perennial shrub that grows native from Mexico to Canada. It grows erect from 1 to 4 feet tall, sometimes sprawling, with a unique, hairy, silvery-white appearance, and extensive, deep roots. Tolerates a wide variety of precipitation (6 to 20 inches), soil conditions, and elevations. Winterfat is a superior, reliable source of high-protein winter forage, and because of this, is one of the most valuable native rangeland species in western North America. It is also a hardy pioneer species, making it valuable for reclamation and site stabilization.
Lifespan: perennial
Season: cool
Uses: amnenity grassland, reclamation, CRP, pollinator, wildlife habitat, biodiversity
Native or Introduced: Native
Annual Average Precipitation: 7 inches
Field Seeding Rate (lbs/acre): about 5
Turf Seeding Rate (lbs/1000 s.f.): n/a