Ericameria Species, Chamisa, Rubber Rabbitbrush

A native here in Utah, this plant is extremely drought tolerant. Looks great in a home landscape but beware of its reseeding capabilities...Read More. I love my rabbitbrush so much that I don't mind taking the time to pull up the seedlings it produces - but there are a lot of them! To prevent woody growth, I cut mine all the way back to the crown in early spring, keeping it compact and tidy.

I live in zone 5b Ranchos de Taos, NM at 7,000 feet. Chamisa grows wild here and can be used in gardens and for landscaping. The zones li...Read Morested for this plant do not include this zone.

This is a common plant in my area (inland California high desert) where the countryside becomes a sea of gold in October to November. Pl...Read Moreants grow here anywhere from just a foot tall to over 7' tall. Plants get nearly 0 water in this area (none at all from March or April on) yet still have enough left in them to bloom like crazy 6-8 months after the last drop of water hit the ground.... truly amazing plants.

This plant is nearly indistinguishable, at least in photos, from the other rabbitbrush in this area. Though that one is a different species (Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus) and tends to be much shorter (rarely over 2' tall). I really need to see them side by side in real life to finally feel good about which is which, but it seems any large Chamisas in our area are supposedly Ericameria, not Chrysothamnus (though Ericamerias used to be Chrysothamnus).

Chamisa grows wild along the roadsides here and can become invasive if not carefully controlled in landscapes. Multiplies by seed and by...Read More underground runners. The brilliant gold color of the flowers are absolutely magnificent in the fall, though they are the source of hay fever for many. I love this plant but try to keep it out of my yard.

A friend went to her allergist recently and was told that the pollen on chamisa was to large to cause hay fever, but that when it bloomed many other plants which do cause hay fever bloom, too. It is a marker plant. And all these years I blamed it for my fall hay fever.