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Brittlebush, Incienso
Scientific Name: Encelia farinosa A. Gray
Synonym:
Family: Asteraceae Recommended Temperature Zone:
sunset: 10-13
USDA: 9b-10
Frost Tolerance: Hardy to 26° F (-3°C)
Heat Tolerance: Heat resistant
Sun Exposure: Full sun, tolerates reflected heat
Origin: Southwestern USA, northwestern Mexico, Baja California, below 3000 feet
elevation (900 m)
Growth Habits: Short lived evergreen bush, herbaceous with a woody, succulent
base, fast growing 3 to 5 feet tall and wide (0.9-1.5 m); alternate, simple,
oval or triangular greenish-gray to silvery leaves, 0.7 to 3 inches long (5-7.5
cm), 0.32 to 1.2 inches wide (0.8-3 cm) depending on the water availability.
Watering Needs: Little to no water when established, needs good drainage
Propagation: Easy by seed, cuttings
The Brittlebush is one of the species that doesn't look as good if overly
watered. It then tends to become overgrown and leggy.
The resin was chewed by the natives, and burned as incense in the early
missions.
The leaves of the brittle bush produce a substance, toxic to other plants in the
proximity.
Cultural Practices:
Trim the spent flower heads as needed, and cut back in the fall to keep compact.
Blooming Habits:
Yellow daisy like flowers, up to 2 inches in diameter (5 cm), mostly in spring,
and occasionally the rest of the year.
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