Brittlebush is an iconic desert shrub that’s practically foolproof, even in the most difficult spots in the garden, yet it’s rarely used as a landscape plant. Here’s everything you need to know about growing this underutilized southwest desert native.
Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa) is ubiquitous in the Sonoran Desert. It’s so common that you may question whether it’s a landscape plant or a weed! It is rarely used as a landscape plant, in part because it’s so common throughout its natural habitat (Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, and Mexico).
But I think that’s a shame because it’s beautiful, and its resilience makes it a fantastic, carefree addition to any garden.
It has gray-green leaves that look silver in the right light. It’s covered with lemon yellow daisy-like flowers most of the year. It really brightens up a corner of the yard that’s in need of a burst of year-long color.
Brittlebush is happy in full sun and poor soil, and needs almost no supplemental water. In their native environment, these plants survive on as little as 2″ of annual rainfall. You’ll find them growing in the most inhospitable places — in median strips, along roadsides, and in disturbed areas. (And in my yard. 😉)
It’s a great wildlife plant. Its flowers attract birds, bees, and butterflies. Birds love to hang out in its branches and eat its seeds. If you have a desert tortoise, they like to eat the flowers.
Why I Like This Plant
- Cheerful, sunny yellow flowers almost all year
- Nearly silver leaves shimmer in the sunlight
- Extremely low maintenance
- Attracts birds, bees, and butterflies
- No thorns, low litter
Things to Watch Out For
Brittlebush has sticky sap that can cause contact dermatitis in some people.
Optimal Growing Conditions
If you’re thinking of adding a brittlebush to your garden, you need to find a suitable place that will keep your plant healthy and looking good… while minimizing maintenance for you.
Here are the key factors to keep in mind.
Temperature
Brittlebush should be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 – 11. It thrives in the hottest conditions and is very cold-hardy, down to 0℉.
It’s considered evergreen, but can be semi-deciduous in response to extreme drought or cold. When the temperature drops to 20℉, it may lose its leaves but will rebound in the spring.
Sun Exposure
It thrives in full sun and even the reflected heat from walls and buildings. When grown in part shade, plants have greener leaves and fewer flowers, and can get leggy.
Size and Growth Rate
It’s a fast grower. They typically reach a size of 4 feet tall and wide, but can get much bigger if regularly watered or never pruned.
Brittlebush flowers most heavily in the spring and the fall, but I have flowers on mine most of the year.
Brittlebush may occasionally reseed, but it doesn’t become a nuisance. I’ve found they reseed in the perfect places, and I welcome a new plant once in a while.
Soil
Brittlebush is not particular about soil. It grows well in any native soil — rocky, sandy, alkaline, clay — provided it’s well-draining.
Other Location Considerations
Brittlebush’s appearance has been described as informal, casual, or natural, so it may not be the look you’re going for if you want a formal, more manicured look.
Brittlebush:
The Essentials
| Common Names | Brittlebush |
| Scientific Name | Encelia farinosa |
| Origin | Sonoran, Mojave Deserts |
| Plant Type | Evergreen shrub |
| USDA Zones | Zones 9 – 11 |
| Cold Hardiness | To 0℉ |
| Flower Color | Yellow |
| Flower Season | All year |
| Mature Size | 4’ high x 4’ wide |
| Growth Rate | Fast |
| Sun Tolerance | Full, reflected sun |
| Water Needs | Very low |
| Pests & Diseases | Root rot if overwatered |
| Garden Friendly | No thorns, non-toxic |
| Cautions | Contact dermatitis |
| Wildlife | Attracts birds, bees, butterflies |
Growing Brittlebush: Seeds vs Transplants
Even though brittlebush is a shrub, it’s often included on lists of desert wildflowers that can be grown from seed. Brittlebush grows fast, so once a sprout emerges, you’ll have a decent size bush within a few months.
Brittlebush seeds aren’t hard to come by. Native Seeds/SEARCH, a not-for-profit organization that specializes in seeds of the desert southwest, carries them, and so do most Ace Hardware stores. (Look for The Native Seed Company display.)
Learn how to grow wildflowers from seed:
The Easy Way to Grow Desert Wildflowers
How to Plant Transplants
If you decide to start with a nursery plant, dig a hole three times as wide as the root ball but no deeper. Amending the soil is not recommended. Counterintuitively, backfilling with the same native soil you just dug up helps your plant develop a stronger root system.
Try to disturb the roots as little as possible. Wildflowers generally don’t like being transplanted. And never dig up wild brittlebush! They have deep tap roots and don’t survive transplanting.
The best time to plant brittlebush is in the fall. This gives your shrub three seasons to grow roots and get established before the following summer.
The second best time is in spring, the earlier the better. This still gives your plant time to get established before the intense heat of June arrives.
How to Care for Brittlebush
Brittlebush is one plant that truly thrives on neglect, so there’s not much care involved.
If you started your plant from seed or it’s a volunteer, give it enough water to mimic normal rainfall.
If you bought your plant from a nursery, water every two to four days for the first 3 weeks after planting. Then water once a month in the summer and not at all in the winter. Too much water will make a plant leggy, prone to root rot, and actually shorten its lifespan.
There is no need to fertilize brittlebush. It’s adapted to grow in native desert soil.
It’s generally recommended that you give brittlebush a hard pruning in late spring to rejuvenate it and a light pruning in fall to shape it, but it’s not necessary if you like its natural form. I’ve seen plants that are never pruned that look beautiful and healthy, albeit quite large.
Plant Lover Facts
Brittlebush (sometimes spelled brittle bush) gets its name from its brittle stems. It is also called incienso, Spanish for incense. Brittlebush resin has a frankincense-like odor and can be used as incense.
Brittlebush has a long history of traditional use. It was used medicinally to treat toothache and chest pain. The sap was used as glue, varnish, waterproofing, and chewing gum.
There’s evidence that it is allelopathic, i.e., it produces chemicals that inhibit the growth of nearby plants, allowing it to dominate its range.
Have you grown this plant?
Was it a “hit” or a “miss” in your garden?
Please share your experience in the comments below!
Did you enjoy this article?
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
where you’ll find more great info on creating &
maintaining a beautiful, carefree desert landscape.
Author Bio
Deane Alban is the creator of Southwest Gardener. She is a science writer with a bachelor’s degree in botany from the University of South Florida. Gardening is her lifelong passion. She’s been gardening in Tucson for 15 years.
