Antelope Bitterbrush

Purshia tridentata

Rosaceae

• Spokane Area Native
• USDA Zone: 4–8
• Full sun
• 3'–10' tall × 3'–10' wide
• Drought Tolerant: Yes – highly drought tolerant once established
• Evergreen: Semi-evergreen (may hold leaves in mild winters)
• Flower Color/Bloom Time: Pale yellow to cream, April–July
• Wildlife Benefits: Critical browse for deer and antelope; seeds eaten by birds and mammals; important pollinator plant

Antelope Bitterbrush is one of the most ecologically significant native shrubs of the Intermountain West and a keystone species of the Spokane region's high desert and sagebrush-steppe plant communities. It grows naturally on dry, well-drained soils of loam, silt, sand, and gravel throughout eastern Washington and is a cornerstone plant for dry slope stabilization, wildlife habitat, and restoration projects. Extremely drought tolerant, it thrives in full sun with excellent drainage and requires no supplemental irrigation once established.

Antelope Bitterbrush is a spreading, rounded to irregular shrub with small, three-lobed (tridentate) gray-green leaves that are aromatic when crushed. From April through July, the plant is covered in small, fragrant, creamy yellow to pale yellow flowers that are highly attractive to native bees and other pollinators. The flowers are followed by leathery, pointed achene fruits that are a valued food source for wildlife. The overall texture of the plant is fine, and its mounding form provides excellent seasonal interest as well as year-round structural presence in the garden.

Few native shrubs rival Antelope Bitterbrush for wildlife value. It is one of the most important browse plants in the West for mule deer and pronghorn antelope, providing critical nutrition especially in winter and early spring. Birds and small mammals consume the seeds extensively. The plant also serves as larval host and nectar plant for numerous native bees and butterflies. In natural plant communities, it plays a vital role in nitrogen cycling through associations with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in root nodules.

In the landscape, Antelope Bitterbrush is ideal for dry, low-maintenance plantings throughout the Spokane area. It works beautifully as a specimen, in mass plantings on slopes and embankments, or as part of a naturalized sagebrush community garden. Excellent companion plants include Desert Peach, Big Sagebrush, Bluebunch Wheatgrass, Sulfur Flower Buckwheat, and Idaho Fescue.