General: Sweetbush (Bebbia juncea) is an upright, rounded shrub to about 5-feet tall. All stems are very thin, green, and appear naked, although there can be many narrow leaves. Small, yellow flowerheads occur on the stem tips. Dried receptacles (small white disks) remain on the tips of the stems, aiding in identification during fall and winter when the plant is just a mound of tan-colored, dried stems.

Sweetbush is a fairly common component of vegetation communities in washes in the Upper Sonoran (Mojave Desert Scrub and Pinyon-Juniper Woodland) life zone.

Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae).

Other Names: Chuckwalla Delight because the small flowerheads are just the right size for a nice chuckwalla bite.

Plant Form: Upright, rounded shrub.

Height: To about 5 feet.

Bark: Green.

Stems: Many fine, greenish, seemingly naked branches.

Leaves: Linear, entire, to about 1-1/4 inch long; drought-deciduous.

Flowers: Blooms April to July; also in the fall if conditions permit. Inflorescence: scattered small, cylindrical heads not much larger than the tiny yellow flowers. After flowering, dried receptacles remain on the tips of flower stalks, which are useful for winter identification.

Seeds: Achene (like a tiny sunflower seed) with a tuft of bristles.

Habitat: Prefers large washes; also dry, well-drained sandy, gravelly, and rocky soils from desert flats to the upper bajadas.

Elevation: To 5,000 feet.

Distribution: California, southern Nevada to Texas, and south into northwest Mexico.

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