APACHE
PLUME
Fallugia paradoxa
It blooms April through June with round, white flowers,
with yellow centers. It has dark green leaves (silver beneath). This
evergreen shrub can grow up to 6 feet high.
It is sometimes confused with the Cliffrose, but can be distinguished
by its more shrub-like appearance, having numerous branches at the
base. Fruit heads have distinctive, pink, feathery plumes up to 2
inches long.
This plant's common name is derived from the fact that it
resembles Apache war bonnets.
Native peoples used the stems of Apache Plumes
to make brooms and arrow shafts.
Apache Plume is found in far south central Colorado,
southern Utah, and more commonly in New Mexico
and Arizona. It prefers hot lower elevations and drier mesas,
but will flower profusely for many summer months
if it receives abundant moisture.
