Gray Rabbitbrush Rubber Rabbitbrush Chamisa

Gray rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa, Asteraceae; formerly Chrysothamnus nauseosus) is a native shrub found from southern British Columbia to northern Mexico, reaching about 7 feet tall and 6 feet wide. Linear gray-green leaves (1 to 6 centimeters) are covered in woolly hairs. Golden-yellow, pungent-smelling flowers appear in rounded terminal clusters from July through October. The plant exudes a milky latex containing chrysil rubber.

Gray rabbitbrush grows in full sun on dry, sandy, gravelly, clay, or alkaline soils with a deep taproot, and is highly drought-resistant, hardy in Zones 3a to 8b. It is a late-season nectar source that attracts butterflies. Multiple varieties and subspecies are documented. No cultivars are in the trade.