Natural History Wanderings

Death Valley National Park publishes a Wildflower Friday report weekly on Facebook. Here is this weeks report featuring Creosote:

If you are in the desert during or after a rainstorm, the distinctive odor you smell is the creosote bush. One of the first plants to bloom in the spring, the creosote bush is one of the most common plants in the desert. It is also a very important part of the desert ecosystem. Its blossoms provide nectar for 20 different species of bees. There are a number of different insects that have evolved to depend on the creosote bush, including 2 beetles and a grasshopper. The seeds are an important food source for kangaroo rats. Two different species of lizards also depend on creosote flowers, chuckwallas and desert iguanas. The desert iguana has evolved with the creosote bush so that it is completely camouflaged within this plant, making its home in a burrow beneath the bush.

Humans have also found uses for this plant. The Native Americans of the desert Southwest found the creosote bush to be strong medicine, a remedy for everything from the common cold to tumors. Modern medical studies have found that creosote bush does have anti-microbial properties, like penicillin, as well as pain killing properties similar to aspirin.

This plant is tough, too. A creosote bush can go 2 years without rain. It has one of the longest life spans on the planet. One creosote bush in southern California was found to be over 11,000 years old! The creosote bush, one of the most common plants in the desert, is also one of the most amazing plants around. The first few blooms on this plant are just now starting to show up. Look for them all over Death Valley.