Capitol Reef Desert Flora and Fauna

A native shrub with silvery, resinous foliage and masses of fragrant yellow‑white flowers in spring; common on warm, rocky slopes and canyon rims. In Capitol Reef it often forms dense thickets on talus and benchlands, stabilizing soil and providing nectar for early pollinators.

Shrub 0.5–2 m tall with sticky, lobed to toothed grey‑green leaves and open clusters of five‑petaled, pale yellow flowers in spring; branches often have a papery bark and many small lateral twigs.

Common Confusions

• Sagebrush Artemisia tridentata Sagebrush has finely divided grey foliage and a strong sage scent; cliffrose has broader resinous leaves and showy flowers.
• Rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa Rabbitbrush flowers in late summer with dense yellow clusters and narrow leaves, while cliffrose blooms in spring with individual petaled flowers.