Encelia farinosa Seeds | Brittlebush
LATIN NAME: Encelia farinosa
COMMON NAME: Brittlebush
Plant Profile
Encelia farinosa, commonly known as Brittlebush, is an evergreen shrub in the daisy family. Brittlebush is silver dome of dry hills, and bright yellow daisies open over white, felted leaves. Plant is a fine, bold presence of dry hillside and gravel bed. It is a shrub of open, sunny, sharp-draining ground. Not many plants ask so little and repay so much.
Science & Biotechnology
As part of the daisy family, Encelia farinosa contributes to research on plant classification and adaptation, while nurseries and gardeners continue to trial it for cultivation. For practical purposes the message is encouraging: generations of cultivation have produced plants of predictable, well-mannered garden character.
Uses & Benefits
In the garden, Brittlebush earns its place in borders, containers and mixed plantings, and it also rewards growers who raise plants for cutting, drying or kitchen use. Brittlebush is a fine, bold shrub of desert garden and gravel bed. It has been written up in horticultural and ecological papers for silver leaves and bright yellow ways, and it is a fine, bold shrub of open, sunny, sharp-draining garden. Water very little once plants are settled, for brittlebush likes dry ground of the desert. After the first season it asks for very little beyond a place that suits it.
Brittlebush resin was used by desert peoples as incense and chewing gum; the plant is now a water-wise ornamental of the Southwest.
Growing from Seed
Brittlebush grows readily from seed. Scatter the seed evenly over a loose seed compost, cover to no more than its own depth, and keep the pot moist and bright. Transplant the sturdiest seedlings to their permanent spots and let them develop without disturbance.
Our Take
Its long record of traditional use, described above, gives the plant a story beyond ornament. Brittlebush has real presence in the garden without demanding much in return. Careful watering early on is rewarded by toughness at maturity.
Related Reading
If Brittlebush appeals to you, these related plants are worth a look: