Southwest Colorado Wildflowers, Ericameria parryi and Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus

There are a number of Rabbitbrushes in the Four Corners area; the two most common are Ericameria nauseosus and Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus. Both have similar habitats, but Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ranges from the high desert into the lower mountains. Ericameria nauseosa, the most common Rabbitbrush in our area, is confined to the high desert. It often grows seven feet tall and wide with a wide-spreading open crown. It is easily distinguished by the white felt covering its twigs. Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus grows to three or four feet tall with a tighter growth pattern; it has sticky flowers and its leaves are twisted. Both species seed themselves readily and therefore often sprout dozens of bushes in one area.

All the Rabbitbrush species shown on this web site are late flowering, usually in August and September when their crowns become a bright golden glow of flowers. This glow gave rise to the Latin name "Chryso" "thamnus", "golden" "bush" which was the name Thomas Nuttall gave this genus in the early 19th century for its "affinity to [the genus] Chrysocoma and brilliant golden yellow flowers." Nuttall also named the Ericameria genus from the Greek "ereike" (heath) and "meris" (part), referring to the heath-like leaves.

Ericameria parryi. Synonym: Chrysothamnus parryi. (Rabbitbrush)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Foothills, montane. Open woodlands, meadows. Summer, fall.
Fish Creek Trail, August 9, 2005.
Wildcat Trail, August 28, 2007.

Chrysothamnus parryi grows to a bit more than two feet tall and is found at woodland borders and in meadows. Long, narrow leaves sometimes spiral and flowers are large compared to other members of the genus. The phyllaries are long and slightly keeled and flowers are numerous in tight clusters. There are a number of subspecies differing in the number of flowers per head, the hairiness of the leaves and stems, the height of the plant, etc.

Hall and Harbour are given credit with collecting this species on an 1862 trip in Colorado led by the eminent botanist Charles Parry. Asa Gray named the species Linosyris parryi in 1863, it was renamed Chrysothamnus parryi by Edward Greene in 1895, and it has had many other names, the latest and now most widely accepted being that given by Nesom and Baird in 1993: Ericameria parryi. (Click for more biographical information about Parry.)

Ericameria parryi. Synonym: Chrysothamnus parryi. (Rabbitbrush)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Foothills, montane. Open woodlands, meadows. Summer, fall.
Fish Creek Trail, August 9, 2005.

Phyllaries, the light green structures that surround the side of each flower cluster, are long, narrow, light green, and keeled, i.e., humped or raised like a ship's keel.

Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus

Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus (Green Rabbitbrush)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Foothills, montane, subalpine. Meadows, disturbed areas. Fall.
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, August 21, 2005 and Can-Do Trail, McPhee Reservoir, September 17, 2010.

Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus blooms in late summer with an abundance of tiny flowers clustered into a golden-yellow glow. The shrub is usually evenly rounded, it is typically eight-to-twenty inches tall (but may be three or four feet tall), the base of the flower cluster is commonly sticky (hence the Latin "viscidiflorus" meaning "sticky flower"), its leaves are very often twisted into a gentle spiral, and the stems are smooth without a whitish, hairy coating. Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus is commonly found in lower foothill and montane meadows, shrublands, and open forests.

Some people are allergic to the peppery-sweet scent of the pollen of C. viscidiflorus and its very abundant cousin, Ericameria nauseosa.

The first specimens of this plant were collected by David Douglas along the Columbia River in 1826 and the plant was first named Crinitaria viscidiflora by William Hooker in 1834; in 1841 Thomas Nuttall gave the plant its present name."Viscidiflorus" means "sticky flowered".

Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Foothills, montane, subalpine. Meadows, disturbed areas. Fall.
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, August 21, 2005.

Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus

Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Foothills, montane, subalpine. Meadows, disturbed areas. Fall.
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, August 21, 2005 and Can-Do Trail, McPhee Reservoir, September 17, 2010.

Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus can be abundant and very attractive.

The dotted appearance of the leaves in the top photograph at left is due to the way light is reflected from the twisted leaves.

Species present in state and native
Species present in state and exotic
Species not present in state

County Color Key

Species present and not rare
Species present and rare
Species extirpated (historic)
Species extinct
Species noxious
Species exotic and present
Native species, but adventive in state
Eradicated
Questionable presence

Range map for Ericameria parryi

Range map for Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus