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Thamnosma montana
Also called Mohave Desertrue, Turpentine Broom
Turpentinebroom is a leafless-looking desert shrub from the citrus family, with straight, broom-like green stems that produce leaves only after heavy rain. It is grown mainly for its native desert character and needs very dry, sunny, well-drained conditions.
Thamnosma montana, the turpentine broom, or Mojave desert-rue, is a shrub in the citrus family Rutaceae. It is native to the deserts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Except immediately after heavy rains, its straight stems usually lack leaves, giving it a broom-like appearance. The Latin specific epithet montana refers to mountains or coming from mountains.
It grows in dry desert scrub, juniper woodland, and other desert plant communities. It grows among desert plants such as creosote, blackbrush, ephedra, and Yucca species such as Joshua Tree.
Native American groups use it as a ceremonial drug, as a medicine, and for other uses.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Thamnosma montana 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.
