Creosote Bush

desert plant · medicinal herb · adapts to heat

Three-toothed leaves. The creosote bush gets its scientific name tridentata because each leaf has three teeth or points, like tiny forks. This unusual leaf shape helps the plant survive in harsh desert conditions.

Seriously stinky. The creosote bush got its Spanish name hediondilla from the word hediondo, which means smelly. The plant gives off a strong smell, especially when it rains, that fills the entire desert around it.

Desert survivor. This flowering plant thrives in the hot, dry deserts where most other plants would wilt. It belongs to the Zygophyllaceae family, a group of plants specially built to handle extreme heat and little water.

Used as medicine. Indigenous people and others have used the creosote bush for healing purposes for hundreds of years. The plant has been part of traditional medicine practices across the desert regions where it grows.