Rubber Rabbitbrush

Rubber Rabbitbrush

Ericameria nauseosa

Rubber Rabbitbrush is a native, perennial, warm-season shrub that grows to 1 to 8 feet tall. It is adapted to cold, dry environments receiving 7 to 18 inches of annual precipitation at elevations ranging from 450 to 8,000 feet. Depending on the ecotype, Rubber Rabbitbrush can be found on loamy, sandy, gravelly or heavy clay soils that are slightly acidic, slight to strongly basic, or saline. It inhabits dry, open areas on plains, valley bottoms, foothills and mountains. The attractive, late-blooming flowers, silvery-green foliage, and drought tolerance of Rubber Rabbitbrush attracts a wide array of native insects, including butterflies and small bees. It is one the few native plant species in the Intermountain West that provides habitat for pollinators during the late summer and fall months. It makes a desirable plant for low maintenance and sustainable landscaping, can be used to stabilize roadsides and other critical areas, and is an ideal plant for mine reclamation.