Larrea tridentata  Creosote Bush, Greasewood
EVERGREEN SHRUB.  A familiar aromatic shrub and the plant that defines the three North American hot deserts.  Multiple light gray trunks, thin flexible branches, tiny dark green resinous leaaves, bright yellow flowers, and fuzzy gray seeds.  Blooms all year, especially after rain.  Common in the Empires in desertscrub, limestone ridges, bajadas, and eroded desert flats, including old mine sites and bombed-out rangeland.  Contrary to popular myth, creosote does not inhibit the germination of other plants, but serves as an important "nurse tree" for cacti and shrubs.  When it is found growing on otherwise bare ground, it is either because conditions are too hot and dry for much else to grow, or because human activity has eradicated less resilient plants.
FAMILY:  Zygophyllaceae (Caltrop Family)