RANCHING


What Plant Is Important in May? Whitebrush (Aloysia gratissima)


W


HITEBRUSH IS A NATIVE SHRUB THAT CAN BE FOUND throughout much of Texas, New Mexico and


Mexico. • Can reach up to 12 feet in height. • Has square, brittle stems and aromatic, pointed leaves that are 1/4 inch wide and up to 1 inch long with pale green undersides.


• Flowers are usually white, but can also be blue. They are small, smell like vanilla and grow 1 to 3 inches in spikes.


• Produces fl owers almost all summer if growing conditions are good.


• Can form dense thickets that will shade out other


more desirable plants and become a problem on overgrazed ranges. Whitebrush is generally not considered forage for


cattle, although goats and White-tailed deer are known to use it for browse. Whitebrush can also provide es- cape cover for wildlife species. Whitebrush does have one good quality: The honey


produced from the fl owers is excellent. The plant is also known as “beebrush” because of this fi ne honey. Whitebrush is very tolerant of prescribed fi re and


resprouts aggressively. However, it can be controlled by mechanical methods and a properly timed chemical application if necessary.


Editor’s note: Kent Ferguson, retired rangeland management specialist from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), is providing us with plant identifi cation photo stories to help ranchers identify those forbs, forages and species growing in the pastures. Additional photos provided by USDA NRCS.


50 The Cattleman May 2016 thecattlemanmagazine.com


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