Flower profile

Fernbush

Chamaebatiaria millefolium

Fernbush (Chamaebatiaria millefolium) is a shrub in the Rosaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–September across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Fernbush is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–September.

6states where USDA records it

2Bloomipedia state lists include it

3,514U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Arizona, Idaho

Quick look

Chamaebatiaria is a monotypic genus of aromatic shrub in the rose family containing the single species Chamaebatiaria millefolium, which is known by the common names fern bush and desert sweet. Its genus name comes from its physical resemblance to the mountain miseries of genus Chamaebatia, which are not closely related. This is a hairy, sticky plant covered in fernlike foliage made up of fronds of small leaflets.
From Wikipedia's article Chamaebatiaria, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Rosaceae 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 and Idaho. ^NatureServe
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as mid summer. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 6 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 1,141 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #93 among the 132 flowers on our Arizona list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 542 research-grade sightings of it in Idaho, ranking #57 among the 143 flowers on our Idaho list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (112 records)

Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Arizona	Native	few records (26)	1,141
Idaho	Native	few records (13)	542

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G4 Apparently secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
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}
Idaho: No list Idaho has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Idaho ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Idaho.
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 peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 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 fernbush in 6 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah.

Arizona counties with USDA records: Coconino, Mohave, Navajo, Yavapai.

Idaho counties with USDA records: Bingham, Blaine, Bonneville, Butte, Clark, Custer, Lemhi, Lewis, Lincoln, Valley.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Fernbush a high shade tolerance, high drought tolerance and low moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 7.0 to 8.0 and winter lows down to -23 °F.

Shade tolerance: High
Drought tolerance: High
Moisture use: Low
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium
Soil pH range: 7.0 to 8.0
Minimum temperature tolerated: -23 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 120
Annual precipitation range: 15 to 60 inches
Minimum root depth: 12 inches
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Low
Growth rate: Moderate
Lifespan: Moderate
Active growth period: Spring, Summer, Fall
Fruit or seed: Brown · Summer to Fall
Can be propagated by: bare root, container, cuttings, seed
Commercial availability: Field Collections Only

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for CHMI2. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 47 counties across 6 states; the most are in Nevada (11), Utah (11), Idaho (10).

More from the Rosaceae family (103 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Roses (genus Rosa), Multiflora rose, Mock strawberry, Black cherry, Toyon, Thimbleberry, Wineberry, Black raspberry.

More Arizona flowers

Apache plume

Fallugia paradoxa

Native

🌼 Blooms in AZ: May–September

Stansbury's cliffrose

Purshia stansburyana

Native

🌼 Blooms in AZ: April–June

Roses (genus Rosa)

Rosa

★ NY state flower🌷 Garden flower

🌼 Blooms in AZ: May–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CHMI2.
iNaturalist, Chamaebatiaria millefolium: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Chamaebatiaria (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Arizona: Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025).
Arizona: Arizona prohibited noxious weeds (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-4-245).
Idaho: Idaho noxious weeds (IDAPA 02.06.09, Section 220).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Chamaebatiaria millefolium (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Dawn Nelson via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.