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What is a creosote bush?
A creosote bush is a type of perennial, evergreen shrub. (4)
A creosote bush is also known as greasewood, Black bush, chaparral, dwarf evergreen oak, creosotum, gobernadora, grease bush, guamis, jarilla, hediondilla, paloondo, kreosotestrauch, kreosotbuske, gobernadora. (2, 5)
What does it look like?
(picture here) (5)
What do the leaves look like?
(picture here) (5)
Leaves are alternately arranged, thick, resinous, waxy, yellow to green, and 12 to 25 mm long. (5)
What does the bark look like?
The bark is smooth and gray initially which turns to darker. (5)
What do the leaves look like?
The leaves are alternately arranged, thick, resinous, waxy, yellow to green, and 12 to 2 mm long. (5)
The leaflets are 7 to 18 mm long and 4 to 8.5 mm broad. (5)
Where is a creosote bush located?
(map of range of creosote bush)
A creosote bush is located in the Sonoran Desert, Chihuahua Desert , and Mojave Desert. (2)
A creosote bush does not grow above 5,000 feet in altitude. (5)
What is the range of a creosote bush? Where can it be found?
How tall can a creosote bush grow to?
A creosote bush is a 3 to 13 foot tree with no well-defined trunk. (4)
What do the fruits look like?
Creosote fruit is a capsule covered with dense white to red-wooly long hairs tipped by a thread like appendage. “A white fuzzy seed ball.” (4)
Fruits are small, globose whose color ranges from reddish to white. (5)
The fruit is bitter in taste. (5)
Does it grow flowers? Yes (4)
What do the flowers look like?
(picture here) (5)
Flowers are solitary, with yellowish sepals, and bright yellow petals. (4)
The flowers have five yellow petals, solitary, axiliary, 2 cm wide, hermaphrodite, and 25 mm in diameter. (5)
When does it grow flowers?
What do creosote bush seeds look like?
(picture her) (5)
What is the lifespan of a creosote bush?
A creosote bush can live for 100 years. (3)
Has yellow flowers in spring and summer
A creosote bush bears fruit.
A creosote bush is antimicrobial. (2)
How much water does a creosote bush need?
A creosote bush is drought tolerant. (5)
Can a human eat a creosote bush?
leaves?
The leaves may help with diseases. (5)
The leaves tincture is applied as lotions. (5)
It possesses anti-inflammatory, analgesic, expectorant, and anti-diarrheal properties. (5)
An infusion made from this plant helps to rid of dandruff. (5)
Traditionally it is used as a cure for stomach pains, fever, colds, arthritis, anemia, sinusitis, pain killer, and anti-diarrheal. (5)
It may help treat bacterial and fungal infections. (5)
The ethanolic extract may help reduce total cholesterol, TGs, leptin, insulin, and enhance the sensitivity of insulin. (5)
may help treat cancer (5)
fruits?
flowers?
The flower buds can be pickled in vinegar and also used as a substitute for caper. (5)
roots?
What temperatures can the creosote bush handle?
Mature creosote bush plants can survive temperatures up to 160 degrees Fahrenheit and extreme drought. (7)
What is the oldest creosote bush ring?
King Clone is thought to be the oldest creosote bush ring in the Mojave Desert. (5, 6)
The ring is estimated to be 11,700 years old. (6)
The King Clone ring is on restricted-access land in the central Mojave Desert, near the towns of Lucerne Valley, and Landers. (6) It is located in the Creoste Rings Preserve of the Lucerne Valley and Johnson Valley. (6)
Resources
1. https://www.nps.gov/jotr/learn/nature/creosote.htm
2. https://www.ethnoherbalist.com/southern-california-native-plants-medicinal/creosote-bush-uses/
3. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/creosote-bush/creosote-bush-care.htm
4. https://extension.usu.edu/rangeplants/shrubs-and-trees/Bush_Creosote
5. https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/creosote-bush/
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Clone
7. https://leafyplace.com/desert-plants/