Goldenbush is an unassuming low perennial plant that most people ignore nine months out of the year, and then comes late summer – when it blooms and is covered in butterflies.

Cover image: Isocoma-menziesii is a butterfly attracting plant, but honeybees will stop by as well. Image courtesy J. Schrenk.

Name that Plant

Goldenbush goes by many different common names depending on where you live. And the scientific name depends on when you learned native plant names. Today we are talking about the Isocoma. More about the history of the name and all the cousins in part 2.  Today you only need to know that it’s a nice autumn bloomer and easy to plant in your yard. Common names include desert goldenrod, goldenweed, jimmyweed, and burroweed,

Goldenbush is Easy to Grow

There are a number of species of Isocoma across the Western US and into Mexico. Depending on where you live will determine which species you should grow. Southern Utah? Plant the Zion goldenbush (Isocoma humilis). Unique climate of Las Vegas? Better for your area is the local native alkali goldenbush (Isocoma acradenia).  Limestone soils? Plant the Texas goldenbush, Isocoma gypsophila. It loves limestone – that’s what the scientific name means. Gypso = gypsum or limestone and phila = love. You might already know the word phila if you know that Philadelphia is the “city of brotherly love.” I guess they forgot how much brothers can fight when they named that city.

Easy to Grow

Isocoma is easy to grow from seed. In fact, it’s about the only way you can grow it because it is very hard to find any goldenbush in plant nurseries.

Why not in nurseries? Because most Isocoma will die if over watered. Meanwhile most wholesale growers and nurseries water their plants at least once a day and up to five times a day.  This is because they want plants to grow fast so they can sell the plants and make money. Makes perfect sense, except that there are many any number of very lovely low water plants that will not stand over watering. Like goldenbush, and paperflower, and slender poreleaf.  Hmmm, these three are in the Sunflower family. I shall have to investigate further.

Grow Goldenbush

Goldenbush is easy to grow from seed. It’s like growing mesquite from seed. Incidentally, this is the best way to grow a creosote bush – from seed – as well.

Take a hike!

Go for a walk in nature in late summer into autumn. Or maybe a hike – whichever you prefer. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land works well too. Anywhere that it is legal to collect a few seeds. Maybe to your local nature preserve in the autumn. Spot the goldenbush covered in butterflies and other pollinators, and hunt for some ready seeds.

The older flowers will dry to a golden brown with clusters of seeds inside. Each small dark brown seed (achene) will have a dandelion-like tuft of fluff that helps them spread by wind. As long as it keeps getting watered the plant will keep on blooming.

Botany Nerd About the Tuft of Fluff

That tuft of fluff is called a pappus and is what gives the entire genus it’s name. Iso = equal, comis = hair. Those hairs are equal all the way around the crown of the achene.

The pappus does more than help the achenes be carried by wind. They swell up when wet and help hold moisture for the young seed to grow with.

When to Plant?

Plant them as soon as you collect the seed. If it has it’s little “dandelion” wings, on the mother plant then it is ready to plant in the soil. Indeed, do not wait too long to plant tiny desert seeds. The seeds may only be viable (alive) for a year or so.

Earth

The native, unimproved soil of your area works best for your native species of goldenbush. Your soil has all the native microbes including bacteria, algae, and fungi needed for plant life, most of them unknown to science. Most of them dormant until rains arrive.

I should add that soils recently bladed and graded for a subdivision may not host plant life very well. But the wind blows and the bacteria and fungal spores will get to your yard whether you want them to or not.  Your plants do want most of them.  They help make the soil better.

Air

Different species of goldenbush tolerate different low and high temperatures. The coastal goldenbush (Isocoma menziesii) found in western California does not tolerate the heat and lack of humidity found in Phoenix in the summer.

Fire

Full sun. Some reflected sun (from pools or windows) is fine too. This one is the same everywhere – if you plant your native species.

Water

When you first plant the seeds, pretend you are the tail end of monsoon season, start of the winter rains. Water the soil every three days or so.

Fifth Element

Movies aside, the Greeks did have a fifth element they called “Ether.” This is where I put the additional components of growing that can mean success or failure even if the other four elements are correct.

On your hike to collect seed, did you notice that the Isocoma tended to grow along the base of a rock? Two reasons for this. Rain falls and spreads through the soil, including under rocks or boulders. The the rock or boulder shade the soil and slow evaporation. Just a tad more moisture helps desert plants make it. I mentioned this in my article about Boulders in the Landscape.

Second reason to grow near a big rock.  Critters.  Tiny baby seedlings do not have defensive compounds to protect them from hungry wildlife. Quail devour these tasty and nutritious micro-greens. So does every other form of wildlife. Hiding at the base of a rock can mean the difference between survival or being dinner for some plants. Rocks can be a plants best friend.

Note that humans eat microgreens too. Alfalfa sprouts and bean sprouts are “microgreens” and are fine for humans when they are sprouts – but eating the leaves of some of the full grown bean plants can send you to the hospital.

Back to Goldenbush

It’s a pretty little native plant that survives on local rainfall, isn’t eaten by rabbits, javelina, or deer, and it attracts butterflies to the yard. Three great reasons to take a hike and find some seed for your yard!

Butterfly Plant Book

Isocoma is just one of the many butterfly plants you can grow.  Please consider my book Butterfly Gardening in Southern Arizona, Revised Edition.

It says “southern Arizona” because I am nerdily precise, and when I first wrote it I had not done enough research on other parts of the Southwest.  I now know that the plants discussed in this handy guide  will grow in Southern Nevada, Eastern California, Across the deserts of Arizona, into Southern New Mexico, and through Big Bend into the Texas Hill Country.

Published by locally by Tierra del Sol Institute – whose mission statement is “Helping people live in harmony with their environment.”  All the profits from the sale of the book go to their Horticulture Therapy programs.

Sustainably Printed!  This slender volume was printed in Tucson at Arizona Litographers, the first ever printing press in America to be run entirely on green energy.  They have won awards for their efforts to reduce impact upon the earth, and thus fit well with the Tierra del Sol mission to help people live more lightly on this earth.

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