General: Sweetbush (Bebbia juncea) is an upright, rounded shrub to about 5-feet tall. The thin stems are green and appear nearly naked, although there are many be many narrow leaves. Many small flower heads are scattered about the outer edge of the plant. The flower heads are just the right size for a nice chuckwalla bite; hence the other common name: Chuckwalla Delight.

Sweetbush is a fairly common component of vegetation communities in washes in the Upper Sonoran (Mojave Desert Scrub and Pinyon-Juniper Woodland) life zone.

Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae).

Other Names: Chuckwalla Delight.

Plant Form: Upright, rounded shrub.

Height: To about 5 feet.

Bark: Green.

Stems: Many fine, greenish, seemingly naked branches.

Leaves: Linear, entire, to about 1-1/4 inch long; drought-deciduous.

Flowers: Blooms April to July; also in the fall if conditions permit. Inflorescence: scattered small, round heads not much larger than the tiny yellow flowers.

Seeds: Achene (like a tiny sunflower seed).

Habitat: Prefers large washes; also dry, well-drained sandy, gravelly, and rocky soils from desert flats to the upper bajadas.

Elevation: To 5,000 feet.

Distribution: California, southern Nevada to Texas, and south into northwest Mexico.

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