Purshia stansburiana

Cliff Rose, Purshia stansburiana,  is native to the north edges of the Mojave desert to Colorado, Utah and Arizona. A 4 ft. high evergreen (it can get bigger if happy) with creamy yellow 1" flowers in April - June followed by an intricate mass of feathery fruits that turn the plant into an electrifying blond. Cliff Rose likes sun and water until established, then drought tolerant.

I planted this in a planting in Taft 30+ years ago and it was stunning until someone left the drip lines on for two weeks and killed it. (Another reason we're not fans of drip.)

The leaves have been used as tea, bark used in braiding baskets, wood used for arrows.

From the cold this year and the range of this plant lead me to believe it will handle -30 F. It has done well in the San Joaquin Valley and excellent here in the nursery. It prefers a little summer water here and over-summers fine in our container stock.

Associated plants include: Amelanchier utahensis (covillei); Artemesia tridentata;  Brickellia desertorum; Ceanothus greggii var. vestitus; Cercocarpus ledifolius; Chamaebatiaria millefolium; Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus subsp. pumilus; Eriogonum umbellatum var. nevadense; Eriogonum fasciculatum var. polifolium; Holodiscus microphyllus; Jamesia americana var. californica; Keckiella rothrockii; Koeleria macrantha; Lupinus excubitus; Mirabilis laevis var. villosa; Monardella linoides; Oenothera caespitosa subsp. marginata; Penstemon eatonii; Penstemon fruticiformis; Penstemon palmeri; Penstemon rostriflorus; Ribes velutinum; and  Symphoricarpos longiflorus. There are others as this plant covers a lot of gullies and hill tops in the desert mountains.

Use it with boulders or in a pseudo-desert garden. In a garden in Southern California I'd use with Apache Plume, Desert Willow, Palo Verde, Fern Bush, Encelia farinosa, Penstemon palmeri, Purshia glandulosa, Yucca whipplei, Eriogonum fasciculatum var. polifolium, Symphoricarpos longiflorus, and  maybe Yucca breviflora.

(syn. Purshia mexicana var. stansburyana, Cowania mexicana, Purshia mexicana, Cowania mexicana var. dubia, Cowania alba, Cowania davidsonii)