brittlebush

American  

[brit-l-boosh] / ˈbrɪt lˌbʊʃ /

noun

1. any of several composite plants of the genus Encelia, of desert regions of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico, having alternate leaves and yellow ray flowers with a yellow or purple center.

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Etymology

Origin of brittlebush

1905–10, brittle + bush ¹, so called from the texture of its leaves

Example Sentences

Cholla gardens and brittlebush rise from pale alluvial slopes, and a seasonal stream leads to one of California’s few native fan palm oases.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

Other recent blooms include a native grass called needle grama, brittle creosote, desert senna, Acton encelia or brittlebush, and big galleta grass.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 8, 2021

We put down the gear and wandered out among the creosote and brittlebush.

From New York Times • Mar. 24, 2016

Dr. James Frederick Bonner of Caltech has now found out how the brittlebush keeps itself exclusive.

From Time Magazine Archive

About a year ago, Dr. Bonner and his assistant gathered fallen leaves from under a brittlebush, spread them around the stems of potted tomato plants, and sprinkled them with water.

From Time Magazine Archive