By Alyson Singer, July 2024
The sagebrush steppe ecosystem is not sagebrush alone. To keep things in balance and to provide food and shelter for over 100 species of animals that live there, this ecosystem needs other types of plant species to remain viable. These include grasses, shrubs, trees and forbs. The Sagebrush in Prisons Project is aptly named for the sagebrush we grow in prisons; however, we do occasionally experiment with other natives. In propagating new species, we learn invaluable information to implement in future seasons while simultaneously providing key plants for restoration.
This season, Idaho State Correctional Center and Lovelock Correctional Center are growing bitterbrush while South Boise Women’s Correctional Center is growing rabbitbrush. Antelope Bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata) is a slow-growing, deciduous shrub in the rose family. It was named after German American botanist, F.T. Pursh, who first described it in 1814. Bitterbrush is well adapted to desert life: with water-loss resistant leaves and long taproots up to 18 feet long. In natural areas, this shrub plays an important role in maintaining high desert wildlife populations and is an important browse plant favored by deer, pronghorn, elk, moose and mountain sheep. It may comprise up to 90% of a mule deer’s diet in the Fall, appropriately coined “deer candy” by BLM botanist Roger Rosentretter. Indigenous people used bitterbrush as a medicinal plant creating an infusion of the root to aid in lung ailments and the fruits to induce vomiting. Bitterbrush branches were also used to make arrows.
Rubbery Rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa) is a perennial shrub in the compositive family. The species name “nauseosa” refers to the smell given off when the leaves or flowers are crushed, described as pineapple-like by some and foul and rubbery by others. Rabbitbrush was first tested as a source of high-quality rubber during World War II. In recent decades, there has been renewed interest in its potential for production of rubber, resins, and other chemicals.
The leaves, flowers and seeds are a food source for deer, antelope, elk, small mammals and birds and it provides cover for several animal species including jackrabbits and sage grouse. It is one of the few native plant species in the intermountain west that provides habitat for pollinators during late summer and fall months. This shrub can be used to restore degraded and eroded landscapes due to its abundant seed production and deep roots. Furthermore, its ability to grow in nutrient-poor substrates, such as sand, shale and slickrock, makes it an ideal plant for mine reclamation. Traditional uses include chewing gum, tea and cough syrup and using the flowers to make yellow dye. Ceremonially, this species is considered potent medicine to treat someone who has been attacked or possessed by an unwanted spirit.
Our sincere thanks to the Twin Falls Office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Idaho Fish and Game for supporting our Sagebrush in Prisons program.
