Bloomipedia
Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata)
Photo: Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋） via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Creosote bush

Larrea tridentata

Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) is a shrub in the Zygophyllaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly February–April across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Creosote bush is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 6 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in February–April.

6states where USDA records it
6Bloomipedia state lists include it
101,945U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah

Quick look

Larrea tridentata, also called creosote bush, greasewood as a plant, and chaparral as a medicinal herb. In Sonora, it is more commonly called hediondilla; Spanish hediondo = "smelly". It is a flowering plant in the family Zygophyllaceae. The specific name tridentata refers to its three-toothed leaves.

  • It belongs to the Zygophyllaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 6 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Arizona, California, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas and Utah. NatureServe
  • In Arizona, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–April. iNaturalist
  • In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in January–April. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 30,962 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #2 among the 132 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 29,599 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #8 among the 178 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 16,151 research-grade sightings of it in New Mexico, ranking #1 among the 152 flowers on our New Mexico list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (5,222 records)
Bloom time in the 6 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
ArizonaNativeMarch–April30,962
CaliforniaNativeJanuary–April29,599
New MexicoNativeApril–August16,151
NevadaNativeMarch–May15,484
TexasNativeMarch–July8,954
UtahNativeApril–May794

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
State rare plant lists
Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 5 of our 6 states.
See each state
Arizona
Not listed Not on Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arizona. AAC R3-3 App. A
California
Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in California. CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)
New Mexico
Not listed Not on New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Mexico. 19.21.2.9 NMAC
Nevada
Not listed Not on Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Nevada. NAC 527.010
Texas
Not listed Not on Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Texas. 31 TAC 69.8
Utah
No list Utah has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Utah ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Utah.
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peoplePoisonous to people

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: medium). Poisonous parts: leaves. Symptoms they list: “Consumption can cause acute hepatitis. Contact dermatitis also reported.” NC State Extension

For petsNon-toxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Chaparral” (Larrea tridentata) lists it as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Eating lots of any plant can still upset a pet's stomach. ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records creosote bush in 6 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah.

Arizona counties with USDA records: Cochise, Coconino, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Yavapai, Yuma.

California counties with USDA records: Fresno, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Mono, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Tulare.

New Mexico counties with USDA records: Chaves, Dona Ana, Eddy, Grant, Hidalgo, Lincoln, Luna, Otero, Roosevelt, Sierra, Socorro.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 67 counties across 6 states; the most are in Texas (27), Arizona (12), New Mexico (11).

More from the Zygophyllaceae family (2 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Puncture vine, Arizona poppy.

More Arizona flowers

Arizona poppy (Kallstroemia grandiflora)

Arizona poppy

Kallstroemia grandiflora

Native

🌼 Blooms in AZ: August–October
Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea)

Saguaro

Carnegiea gigantea

★ AZ state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in AZ: April–June
Fishhook barrel cactus (Ferocactus wislizeni)

Fishhook barrel cactus

Ferocactus wislizeni

Native

🌼 Blooms in AZ: August–September

Sources