Creosote Bush is a very hardy and drought-resistant plant whose pungent smell led Native Americans living in the Sonoran, Chihuahua, and Mojave Deserts to test this plant for medicinal properties.
About the Creosote Bush
This hardy evergreen bush is a flowering plant in the family Zygophyllaceae with the name Larrea tridentata which refers to its three toothed leaves. This bush can be found in portions of southeastern California, Arizona, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah, New Mexico, and Texas as well as in Mexico. This bush can grow up to ten feet tall and has a stem that is resinous with dark green leaves. The yellow flowers are about an inch in diameter and mature into small grey fruits that are enjoyed by desert mammals. The entire plant has an odor of creosote, from which its name derives. Creosote can live to 90 years old and when the old crown of the plant dies, a new one becomes a clonal colony from the previous plant that is composed of many separate stem crowns all from the same seed.
Medicinal Uses
Native Americans of the Southwest hold the belief that this bush can be used to treat many illnesses, including TB, chickenpox, menstrual cramps, sexually transmitted diseases, and snakebite. The Coahuila use it for intestinal complaints and to treat tuberculosis. The Prima drink a decoction of the leaves as an emetic and apply boiled leaves to wounds and sores. The Pima also inhaled smoke from this plant as a remedy for laziness. The Tohono O'odham prepared the plant to treat snake bites and stiff limbs. Tea was made from the plant and used to treat respiratory problems. The Diegueno used a decoction of leaves in a bath to treat arthritis and rheumatism. The Hualapai used an infusion of leaves to treat congestion and asthma. The Kawaiisu used a decoction of leaves as a wash for sore limbs, they also applied heated leaves to sore and aching body parts. The Mahuna used an infusion of this plant to treat dandruff as well as a disinfectant and deodorizer. The Paiute used an infusion of the leaves as a cold medicine, and the Yavapai used a decoction of leaves and stems to treat sore throats. The Cahuilla made a liniment from the plant and used it to treat swollen limbs caused by poor circulation.
Did You Know...
Only the jackrabbit eats the leaves of this plant when nothing else is available.
The Arabian camel brought to the U.S.readily eats the creosote bush.
The shrub is widely used in Mexico as herbal medicine.
Creosote was used as firewood, feed for livestock, and thatch material for the roofs of adobe homes.
After burning, the creosote plant smolders down to charcoal that is green, blue in color and was applied to the skin to decorate tattoos.
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