Fallugia paradoxa (D. Don) Endl. ex Torr.: Apache-plume

Abstract

The genus Fallugia contains a single species - Apache-plume, F. paradoxa (D. Don) Endl. ex Torr. - found throughout the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It occurs mostly on coarse soils on benches and especially along washes and canyons in both warm and cool desert shrub communities and up into the pinyon-juniper vegetation type. It is a sprawling, much-branched shrub from 1 to 2.5 m in height that can root-sprout to produce extensive patches (Shaw and Monsen 1983). It has white to straw-colored, flaking or scaly bark and fascicles of small wedge-shaped leaves that are deeply divided into 3 to 7 lobes and are rusty-tomentose on the undersides. Apache-plume is reported to be evergreen in the warmer portions of its range (Shaw and Monsen 1983). It can be an important browse plant for both domestic and wild ungulates on some ranges and is also valuable for erosion control (Deitschman and others 1974). It is somewhat fire-tolerant, with the ability to resprout after burning (Shaw and Monsen 1983). Because of its handsome habit and showy flowers and fruits, it is used extensively for landscape plantings in the Southwest. It is hardy in areas far north of its natural range (Deitschman and others 1974; Shaw and Monsen 1983) and has potential for use in revegetation or as an ornamental over a wide geographic area.

Parent Publication

• The Woody Plant Seed Manual

Citation

Meyer, Susan E. 2008. Fallugia paradoxa (D. Don) Endl. ex Torr.: Apache-plume. In: Bonner, Franklin T.; Karrfalt, Robert P., eds. The Woody Plant Seed Manual. Agric. Handbook No. 727. Washington, DC. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. p. 525-527.