Wasatch Wildflowers: Bitterbrush (purshia tridentata)

Photo: Bitterbrush Blooms – photo: Ashley Brown

WASATCH MOUNTAINS, Utah — Native to Utah, bitterbrush (purshia tridentata), also known as antelope brush, is a perennial shrub adapted to desert climates and regions. The title tridentata refers to the three lobes at the end of the leaf. In some cases, the plant can be decades old. The plant is a favorite food of mule deer.

Look for the tiny yellow flowers blooming from May through July. Bitterbrushes can grow up to six feet tall and thrive in sagebrush and mountain shrub communities between 4000 and 9000 feet.