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Creosote Bush Scrub is a southern California desert plant community. The Mojave and Anza-Borrego areas typify this desert environment. Plant leaves and roots have adapted to withstand intense solar radiation and both extreme cold and extreme heat. Less than 7" of rain falls annually. This region is very fragile. Paths worn into the soil by travelers at the turn of the century can still be seen today.

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Creosote Bush

Larrea tridentata; Caltrop Family

• erect shrub, 4 to 8 feet tall with dark, brittle branches
• shiny, dark green leaves, opposite with two leaflets; strongly scented
• bright yellow flowers with 5 petals bloom in winter and spring
• fruits rounded and covered with white "hair"
• used for treating colds, chest infections, stomach cramps and runny noses, as well as to induce vomiting, heal wounds and draw out poisons
• used to prevent infection, aid circulation, eradicate dandruff, eliminate body odor and alleviate constipation
• In April 1980, scientists discovered a giant, and very ancient clone of the creosote bush in the Mojave Desert in California they estimated to be between 11,000 and 12,000 years old!

Jojoba

Simmondsia chinensis; Jojoba Family

• stiff-branched shrub
• leaves opposite, compound, dull green and leathery
• small greenish flowers have 5 petals and yellow stamens. Flowers clustered in 2" - 3" spikes
• male and female flowers grow on separate bushes, usually blooms April - June
• large nuts look like acorns
• Native Americans ate the seeds and made a rich drink from the nuts
• Jojoba oil is used in the preparation of shampoos and pharmaceuticals

Mesquite

Prosopis glandulosa; Pea Family

• low tree or large shrub
• deciduous
• several trunks and arched branches covered with scattered spines
• flowers have tiny petals and yellowish stamens
• after flowering, 6" - 8" yellow seed pods form, ripening in fall
• boiled sap of the mesquite was mixed with mud and packed on the head to remove lice

Agave

Agave deserti; Agave Family

• can take 20 to 40 years to mature, flowers once, and dies!
• rosette-shaped, usually grows in colonies
• creamy yellow flowers (May - July); flower stalk rises from the center and may grow to 15 feet tall
• prickles along the edges of blue-green succulent leaves
• Native Americans ground seeds into flour; ate leaves, stalks and flowers
• juice from the roots was applied to fresh wounds
• spines were used as needles, leaves were heated and scraped to produce fibers for string, and stalks were used to make fire-making drills