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Zygophyllaceae FAMILY

Larrea tridentata

Larrea tridentata

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

The plant is rich in resins and is generally unpalatable to grazing animals, and is usually toxic, sometimes causing death[1]. There is some concern over the potential toxic effect of this plant upon the liver[2]. There have been a number of cases of acute or sub-acute hepatitis attributed to the medicinal use of this herb and so its internal use is not recommended until further research has been carried out[2].

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Shrub
Growth—

Larrea tridentata is a plant of arid to desert regions. It is not very cold-hardy, especially in moister climates, usually tolerating short periods when temperatures fall as low as -5 to -10°c[3]. In its desert environment temperatures can range from as high as 47°c in the summer down to -15°c in the winter[4]. Mean annual rainfall ranges from 100 - 300mm[4]. Requires a moderately fertile moisture-retentive soil in full sun or light shade[3]. Plants grow in the wild on calcareous, sandy, and alluvial soils that are often underlain by a caliche hardpan[4]. Established plants are drought-tolerant[4]. When drought is extreme, old branches and roots die back, then when the rains return, the branches are replaced by sprouts originating near the outside of the root crown. With time, the plant (or more accurately its clones) gradually expands to form rings many meters in diameter[4] Plants are not very tolerant of fire, with most of them being killed even by low-intensity fires[4]. The plant is resinous and very aromatic[3, 1]. A very long-lived plant, some individuals are known to be several thouand years old, and the average longevity of plants in one site was estimated to be around 1,250 years[4].

Propagation

Seed - viability rates of fresh seed ranges from 15 - 76% - leaching the seeds in running water for 12 hours prior to sowing has been shown to improve germination rate. Sowing the seed in shade, or even in darkness is more effective than sowing in a light positions[4].. We have no further information but suggest sowing the seed in a greenhouse in spring. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of new growth in spring in a frame[3]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Larrea+tridentata>

Pollinators

Bees, Insects

References

  1. [1]Wildland Shrubs of the United States and its Territories: Thamnic Descriptions — Francis J.K. (Editor) · USDA; Forest Service International Institute of Tropical Forestr · 2000 · http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/wildland_shrubs.htm ↩︎An excellent series of papers, in PDF format, from various authors giving quite detailed information on a range of shrubs growing in the United States and its Territories. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
  2. [2]The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants — Chevallier. A. · Dorling Kindersley. London · 1996 · ISBN 9-780751-303148 ↩︎An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
  3. [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  4. [4]Fire Effects Information System — http://www.feis-crs.org/feis/ ↩︎An on-line information site with comprehensive information on over 1,100 species of plant. Mainly developed to supply information on the effects of fire on plants and animals, it also contains a wealth of other information on the plants
  5. [5]Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications · 1990 · ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 ↩︎Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
  6. [6]Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. — Hedrick. U. P. · Dover Publications · 1972 · ISBN 0-486-20459-6 ↩︎Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
  7. [7]Earth Medicine, Earth Food. — Weiner. M. A. · Ballantine Books · 1980 · ISBN 0-449-90589-6 ↩︎A nice book to read though it is difficult to look up individual plants since the book is divided into separate sections dealing with the different medicinal uses plus a section on edible plants. Common names are used instead of botanical.
  8. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎