Rosaceae

Purshia tridentata

Bitterbrush

Shrub with rigid stems. Leaves mostly deciduous, bright green to olive-green, wedge-shaped, with 3-lobed tips, edges rolled under. Flowers many, borne singly along stems. Flower petals to 1/3 in. long, oval, cream to bright yellow. Grows in relatively moist habitats, ponderosa pine and western juniper communities, sagebrush-steppe, rocky slopes, conifer forests, at mid to high elevations. Resembles big sagebrush in overall appearance and is an important food for browsers. Tridentata means "3 teeth." First collected July 6, 1806, by Meriwether Lewis along Blackfoot River.

• Rarity: Common
• Flowering Time: Late Spring
• Life Cycle: Perennial
• Height: 3--10 feet
• Habitat: Shrub-Steppe, Subalpine, East-Side Forest
• Found In: Wallowas, Steens, Crater Lake Np, East Gorge, Siskiyous, N Cascades Np
• Native: Yes