Common Name: Greasewood

General Information

Adenostoma fasciculatum is a much-branched evergreen shrub with a spreading habit. It can grow from 60 - 360cm tall. The many slender stems are erect and generally lack permanent branches[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of materials. It is also used to stabilize soils along roads, dry slopes etc.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

South-western N. America - California to Mexico

Habitat

A shrub component of chaparral, coniferous woodland, and forest communities; it typically dominates the shrub cover of chaparral when growing in poor depleted soils and on dry hot slopes; it is found at elevations up to 1,800 metres[, , ].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Adenostoma fasciculatum is a plant of semi-arid to fairly moist areas of the warm temperate and subtropical zome of southwest N. America. It grows in areas where the mean annual rainfall is in the range 250 - 1,000mm, and the temperature can range from 0 - 38°c. In the drier, more southerly section of its range, with a rainfall not exceeding 500mm, it occurs abundantly on all slopes and exposures and grows on deep, fertile soils as well as shallow, rocky ones. As precipitation increases farther northward, it is largely restricted to the poorer soils and the drier, more exposed sites[]. Plants are not very hardy in Britain and do not withstand exposure to prolonged winter frosts though they succeed outdoors in the milder areas of the country[, ]. In colder areas they are best grown against a south or south-west facing wall[].
Requires a sheltered sunny position in a well-drained soil[, ] and protection from cold winds[]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[].
The leaves are resinous and catch fire easily[]. They have a pleasant aroma[].
The plant rejuvenates its crown by continually producing new sprouts from the base, where there is an established lignotuber. The lignotuber is only just below soil level and is often damaged by fire, hence many plants do not recover after the fire, those that do sprout vigorously from surviving adventitious buds on the lignotuber. The plant does, however, usually produce lots of seedlings after a fire[].
Plants resprout freely from the base if cut down for materials etc[].
Plants can commence bearing seed when only three years old[].
Plants are believed to live around 100 - 200 years[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A decoction of the leaves and branches has been applied externally in the treatment of rheumatism and as a wash for infected, sore or swollen parts of the body[].
An infusion of the bark and leaves has been used in the treatment of syphilis[].

Plant oils (probably talking about essential oils[]) have been used to treat skin infections[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Plants have an extensively spreading and deeply penetrating root system that helps to bind the soil together and also helps the plant be tolerant of drought. They are planted on slopes, roadsides and other fragile soils for the prevention of soil erosion[, ].

Other Uses

The wood has been used in basketry[].

A gum from the plant has been used as a glue[].

Large roots burn well and have been used for firewood[].
Branches have been tied together then burnt for use as a torch[].

Propagation

Seed - sow in containers in the greenhouse in late autumn or early spring. Viability can be quite low, in some cases as low as 0 - 4%. In nature, the seed is most likely to germinate shortly following a forest fire - in cultivation stratification before sowing can improve germination rates[]. Seedlings reach a height of around 5cm within 4 - 6 months of germinating, and can then be potted into individual pots.
Cuttings could be tried in August of half-ripe wood, preferably with a heel, in a frame.
Greenwood cuttings in the spring have been successful[].
Layering.