Blackbush scrub facts for kids
Blackbush scrub, also known as blackbrush scrub, is a special type of plant community found in the deserts of the Western United States. It gets its name from the main plant that grows there, the blackbush (Coleogyne ramosissima). This plant is a low-growing shrub with a dark gray color.
When many blackbush plants grow together, they often form large, pure groups. This makes the landscape look like a uniform dark gray carpet.
Where Blackbush Scrub Grows
In the Mojave Desert
Blackbush scrub can be found in many different places across the Mojave Desert. It grows at various heights, from lower areas to higher up in the mountains.
Sometimes, blackbush grows underneath taller trees. It can be found as an understory (plants growing beneath the main canopy) in areas with Joshua tree woodlands or pinyon-juniper woodlands.
Other plants that often grow alongside blackbush in the Mojave Desert include:
- Ephedra (like Ephedra nevadensis and Ephedra viridis)
- Hop-sage (Grayia spinosa)
- Turpentine broom (Thamnosma montana)
- Horsebrush (Tedradymia spp.)
- Cheesebush (Ambrosia salsola)
- Winter fat (Krascheninnikovia lanata)
On the Colorado Plateau
You can also find blackbush scrub on the Colorado Plateau. Here, it usually grows in areas where the soil is very thin and spread out evenly.
