A Mojave native for Hesperia, Victorville and Apple Valley that needs almost no water once it is established.
Get a Free Planting PlanCreosote bush is one of the easiest plants you can put in a High Desert yard because it already grows wild across the Mojave. WUCOLS rates it Very Low water for the High and Intermediate Desert, and Mountain States Wholesale Nursery rates it hardy to 0F. It needs full sun, fast-draining soil and almost no water once established; overwatering is the main way to lose one.
Top photo: Photo: Eric in SF, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Shrub · Larrea tridentata · Also called Creosote Plant, Creosote, Greasewood, Chaparral · Native to the southern California deserts, including the Mojave
| Creosote Bush at a glance in the High Desert | |
|---|---|
| Type and size at maturity | Evergreen shrub, 3 to 12 ft tall and 6 to 12 ft wide [3] |
| Growth rate | Slow to moderate; irrigated plants grow faster and fuller [4] |
| Water once established | Very low (WUCOLS IV, Region 5: VL) [2] |
| Sun | Full sun and reflected heat [4] |
| Cold hardiness | 0F, USDA zone 7 (Mountain States Wholesale Nursery); Calscape lists 10F. Either way, it grows wild across the Mojave [4] |
| Heat | Grows wild in the mountains, valleys and washes of the southern California deserts [3] |
| Soil | Fast-draining soil [3] |
| Bloom | Yellow flowers, mainly in spring, sometimes through the year, followed by small fuzzy seed pods [4] |
| Evergreen or deciduous | Evergreen [1] |
| Pets | Non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses (ASPCA, listed as Chaparral) [5] |
| Wildlife | Visited by about 163 native bee species; caterpillar host for 5 moth species [3] |
| Where it fits | Natural desert plantings, a loose hedge, or an accent [1] |
Creosote bush is built for this climate. Calscape, the California Native Plant Society’s plant database, says it grows in the mountains, valleys and washes of the southern California deserts, in Creosote Bush Scrub. Mountain States Wholesale Nursery notes it is found across the flatlands of the arid West up to 5,000 feet. Most of the Victor Valley sits between about 2,200 and 4,000 feet, inside that range.
Cold hardiness numbers vary by source. Mountain States rates it to 0F (USDA zone 7), while Calscape lists 10F. The Victor Valley is zone 8b, where an average winter bottoms out between 15 and 20F, and NOAA records for Victorville reach down near 0F. Wild plants in the area ride out those winters, so a nursery plant grown from a local or Mojave seed source is a safe bet.
Heat is no problem. Mountain States lists full sun and reflected heat, so it can go against a west wall, beside a driveway or in the middle of open gravel. Victorville summers average around 97F in July. Wind rarely bothers an established creosote. Young plants set out in spring can dry out fast in March through June wind, so check their soil more often the first season.
See High Desert frost dates and growing zones for local freeze data.
Calscape calls for fast-draining soil, and Mountain States recommends full sun and well-drained soil. Sandy Victor Valley soil fits. The places creosote struggles are the same places most desert plants struggle: clay pockets, low spots that collect runoff and caliche layers that keep water sitting around the roots. If you hit caliche while digging, break through it or plant on a low mound. The High Desert soils guide explains how to spot it.
If your lot already has wild creosote on it, keep it. Calscape notes that clonal rings of this species are among the oldest known plants, at around 11,000 years. An existing mature plant is worth building a rockscape around rather than clearing.
WUCOLS IV rates creosote Very Low for Region 5, the High and Intermediate Desert, which is the lowest water category it uses. Calscape says to water at most once a month in summer once the plant is established.
Mountain States notes that wild creosote has an open, sparse form, while irrigated plants are much more lush and grow faster. That gives you a choice. A little extra water in summer makes a denser, greener shrub for a hedge or screen. No extra water keeps the open, natural desert look.
New plants still need help. University of Arizona’s Care of Desert-Adapted Plants says desert plants need supplemental irrigation for at least one growing season to establish and recommends deep, infrequent watering to build deep roots. It lists signs of too much water on desert plants: wilted shoot tips, soft or smelly tissue, and algae or mushrooms on the soil. With only about 5.57 inches of rain a year in Victorville, plan on drip through the first summer, then taper off.
The High Desert irrigation guide covers drip zoning for very low-water plants.
The SB County Guide to High Desert Landscaping, prepared with UC Cooperative Extension, suggests creosote bush as a natural desert plant, in a hedge or as an accent. Mountain States describes it as a durable plant that can provide a solid foundation to a landscape.
Mountain States says the aromatic foliage evokes the scent of rain in the desert, and Calscape notes the creosote odor is strongest when the plant is wet. Prune only to shape, and Calscape suggests doing it in late fall or early winter. For more very low-water plants, see the best drought-tolerant plants for the High Desert and the desert landscaping guide.
Main bloom. Plant new ones after the last frost and keep their soil from drying out in spring wind.
Established plants need water no more than once a month (Calscape), or none. First-year plants need regular deep drip.
Good planting window. Prune to shape in late fall or early winter (Calscape).
No protection needed; it is rated to 0F (Mountain States). Water only first-year plants, and only in long dry spells.
Very. WUCOLS rates it Very Low water for the High and Intermediate Desert, and Calscape says established plants need water no more than once a month in summer.
Mountain States Wholesale Nursery rates it to 0F, and Calscape lists 10F. It grows wild across the Mojave, so Victor Valley winters are normal for it.
Yes. The ASPCA lists it under the name Chaparral as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses.
Slow to moderate, per Mountain States. Plants that get some summer water grow faster and fuller than wild plants.
Fall is best, or spring after the last frost. Use nursery-grown plants, fast-draining soil and full sun, and water through the first summer.
We checked every number on this page against the public sources below. If a rule or date changes, the agency page is the final word.
Monarch designs and installs rockscape, drip irrigation and drought-tolerant plantings across the High Desert. We will check sun, wind and soil on your lot and tell you where a plant will do well and where it will struggle.
Get a Free Planting PlanOr call (760) 792-7627
