Rubber Rabbitbrush – Ericameria Nauseosa

Last summer while photographing at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, I found bushes full of little yellow flowers. It took me a while to identify what it was – and once I found out it was called Rubber Rabbitbrush – I knew I’d be writing a blog post about it at some point. :-)

Rubber Rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa) is a member of the Aster family found mainly in the western half of the United States. New York is the one eastern state that Rubber Rabbitbrush is native to. Rubber Rabbitbrush bushes can grow to 90 inches tall – the ones I photographed were about 30 inches tall. The little yellow unbrella shaped flowers bloom from June through September.

Rubber Rabbitbrush has adapted to many growing conditions. It can be found from the deserts of the southwest to the subalpine areas further north. It has adapted to soils ranging from acidic to alkaline, sandy to clay, and is salt tolerant.

Rubber Rabbitbrush has long been used medically and as a dye by Native Americans. During World War II, it was used as a substitute for commercial rubber. To this day, some rubber rabbitbrush is used as a rubber source.