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Creosote Bush
Larrea tridentata
Reviewed by Kiersten Rankel M.S.
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Seed is the realistic home method for creosote bush, sown after a hot-water soak in late winter and producing seedlings ready to plant out in fall.
Semi-hardwood cuttings taken in late summer root at 30 to 40 percent under high humidity over 10 to 14 weeks. Cuttings give you a faster mature plant but seed gives you better long-term root development for a desert species that lives a hundred years.
Semi-hardwood cuttings taken in late summer root at 30 to 40 percent under high humidity over 10 to 14 weeks. Cuttings give you a faster mature plant but seed gives you better long-term root development for a desert species that lives a hundred years.
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From seed
Best for the patient grower starting from scratch
Semi-hardwood cuttings
Best in late summer when this year's growth has firmed up
From seed
Time
6–9 months
Level
Intermediate
Success rate
Moderate
You'll need
Larrea tridentata seed (fresh, under 2 years old)
Bowl of hot tap water (around 130 degrees Fahrenheit)
Coarse sand or 50/50 sand-perlite mix
4 inch deep pots with drainage
Bright sun or grow light
Spray bottle
1
Pre-soak seed in hot water
Pour hot tap water at about 130 degrees Fahrenheit over the seed and let it cool overnight. This softens the seed coat and breaks the wax layer that keeps creosote seed dormant in the desert.
Untreated seed germinates at under 10 percent. After a hot-water soak, expect 40 to 60 percent.
Untreated seed germinates at under 10 percent. After a hot-water soak, expect 40 to 60 percent.
2
Drain and sow on coarse mix
Discard floaters, those are usually empty. Sow viable seed a quarter inch deep in pre-moistened coarse sand or sand-perlite mix. Use deep pots, creosote sends down a long taproot fast.
3
Place in bright warm conditions
Set pots in full sun or under a grow light at 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep the surface barely moist with a spray bottle. Do not soak. Creosote seedlings rot in saturated soil even faster than they desiccate in dry soil.
4
Wait 3 to 6 weeks for germination
First leaves are tiny, paired, and bright green. Germination is uneven and stretches over a month. Thin to one strong seedling per pot once they have 4 true leaves.
5
Grow on with sparse water
Once true leaves appear, water deeply but only when the top half of the pot is dry. Creosote seedlings grow slowly above ground while the taproot races down. By month 6 the plant is only 4 to 6 inches tall but has 12 to 18 inches of root.
6
Plant out in autumn or early spring
Move seedlings to their permanent spot at month 6 to 9, before the taproot circles the pot. Water in once at planting and then only during prolonged drought through the first summer. After year 1, creosote needs no supplemental water.
WATCH FOR
Seedlings turning purple-black at the soil line in week 2 or 3. That is damping off from too much surface moisture and not enough air. Switch to bottom watering only, run a fan to dry the air, and remove visibly affected seedlings before the fungus spreads. Wilted seedlings that recover overnight after a deep watering are fine, creosote tolerates drought stress better than most natives.
Semi-hardwood cuttings
Time
10–14 weeks
Level
Advanced
Success rate
Low
You'll need
Sterile sharp pruners
Rooting hormone (required for creosote)
Coarse sand or perlite
4 inch pots with drainage
Clear plastic dome or bag with stakes
Bottom heat mat (recommended)
1
Take cuttings in late August or September
Choose this year's growth that has firmed up but is not fully woody. Stems should bend without snapping. Cut 4 inch tips with at least 4 leaf pairs in early morning when the plant is fully turgid.
2
Strip lower leaves and wound the base
Remove leaves from the bottom half of each cutting. Score the lowest inch with two shallow vertical cuts through the bark. Dip in rooting hormone and tap off excess.
Creosote will not root reliably without hormone. Skipping it drops success below 10 percent.
Creosote will not root reliably without hormone. Skipping it drops success below 10 percent.
3
Stick into coarse sand
Push each cutting 1.5 inches into pre-moistened coarse sand or perlite. Firm the medium so the cutting stays vertical. Space cuttings 2 inches apart.
4
Cover with a humidity dome
Tent the pot with a clear dome or a bag held off the leaves with bamboo stakes. Bottom heat at 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit roughly doubles the rooting rate for creosote. Mist inside the dome daily.
5
Vent the dome at week 8
Open the dome for 2 hours the first day, doubling daily for a week. Tug a cutting at week 10. Resistance plus any new green growth means roots are forming.
6
Pot up rooted cuttings into deep pots
Once roots are 1 to 2 inches long, move each cutting to a deep 1 gallon pot of cactus mix. Plant out the next spring. Even rooted creosote cuttings need a full year in a deep pot to develop the long root system.
WATCH FOR
Cuttings sitting green but never developing roots, even at week 14. Creosote sometimes goes into a stalled state under high humidity, called callous lock, where it forms a thick callus but no roots. Wound the base again with a sterile blade, re-dip in hormone, and stick into fresh medium. About a third of stalled cuttings root after the second wounding.
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About This Article
Kiersten Rankel M.S.
Botanical Data Lead at Greg · Plant Scientist
Editorial Process
Propagation methods verified against Larrea tridentata growth data from Greg's botanical database, cross-referenced with USDA hardiness zone data and published horticultural research.
65+ Greg users growing this plant
USDA hardiness zones 8a–11b