Spineless horsebrush (Tetradymia canescens) is a bushy evergreen shrub in the Asteraceae  family.   It grows from taproots and woody stems with multiple branches that rise to 40 – 80 cm.    Many small lanceolate leaves are woolly or silver-haired in appearance.   The inflorescence is grouped into 3-8-headed clusters at the tips of branches.  The heads have 4 tubular, yellow flowers.   The flowers bloom early, before rabbitbrush.   In our area, we spot the first flowering tips at the start of summer, but the range can be May to September.

Horsebrush is common in the grasslands and benchlands near Kamloops and south towards Merritt.   It is mostly commonly seen in the south Okanagan, through the semi-desert hills of Central Washington, and in the US Southwest.

Horsebrush is relatively fire-resistant, recovering in the following spring.    It is mildly toxic to sheep, but it has a history of medicinal use by First Nations people.

After flowering dense achenes form and feathery bristles help with dispersing the seed in the fall.

We look forward to the summer flowering of horsebrush, followed by the late summer flowering of rabbitbrush each year.

All photos by the author.