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Rhanterium epapposum
Arfaj is a bushy, spiny desert shrub of the Arabian Peninsula, about 80 cm tall, with bright yellow flowers in spring. It thrives on minimal water and full sun in well-drained, sandy desert soil.
Rhanterium epapposum is a plant of the family Asteraceae. Native to the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar where it is known locally as arfaj (Arabic: عرفج). The arfaj consists of a complicated network of branches scattered with small thorny leaves and bright yellow flowers about 1.5 cm wide. The arfaj flower is also the national flower of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. It is a bushy shrub approximately 80 cm in height. The leaves are small and narrow, and in late spring it will start flowering (April–May). It is considered one of the main desert forage plants for camels and sheep.
When cold temperature prevails the plant produces leaves quickly after rainfall. In a few months, the branches and newly formed leaves become vigorous, and the yellow flowers are produced, attracting insects and birds.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Rhanterium epapposum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
