# Greasewood (*Sarcobatus vermiculatus*) Greasewood is a tough plant that grows in dry places. It has long, thin branches and can survive in very salty soil. This plant helps animals find food and shade in the desert. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 6 - **Habitat:** Desert ![Greasewood](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Sarcobatus_vermiculatus_%284018712194%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sarcobatus_vermiculatus_%284018712194%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Greasewood is a sturdy, thorny shrub with rigid, light green to yellowish-green leaves that drop in fall. Its pale bark is often deeply furrowed, giving it a gnarled, robust appearance in arid landscapes. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Caryophyllales - **Family:** Sarcobataceae - **Genus:** Sarcobatus ## Interesting facts - It can grow in places where the soil is even saltier than seawater! - Its super dense wood was historically used to make strong, durable fence posts! - Some Native American tribes once used Greasewood ashes to make a kind of soap! - You can often spot Greasewood thriving where old, dried-up streambeds once flowed! ## Special abilities - **Salt Exporter:** Greasewood can \*store and excrete excess salt\* through its leaves, helping it thrive in briny soils other plants avoid. - **Deep Root Diver:** Greasewood has \*deep taproots\* that can reach groundwater, allowing it to survive extreme drought in very dry regions. - **Thorny Shield:** Greasewood has \*sharp thorns\* on its branches that help protect its tender foliage from hungry grazing animals. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 100-300 cm - **Spread:** 100-200 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** High - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Wind ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Mule Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mule-deer) (*Odocoileus hemionus*) — Browse its leaves and twigs - **Eaten by:** [Pronghorn](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pronghorn) (*Antilocapra americana*) — Forages on its foliage - **Eaten by:** [Black-tailed Jackrabbit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-tailed-jackrabbit) (*Lepus californicus*) — Consumes stems and leaves - **Shelter:** Greater Sage-grouse (*Centrocercus urophasianus*) — Uses for nesting cover ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Salt Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/salt-tolerant): Salt tolerant plants can withstand and grow in conditions with elevated salinity levels in the soil or water. - [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability. - [Desert](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/desert): Desert habitats are arid regions characterized by extremely low precipitation and often extreme temperatures, supporting specialized flora and fauna. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch plants without asking an adult first. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Greasewood? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Greasewood? 100-300 cm ### How wide does Greasewood spread? 100-200 cm ### When does Greasewood bloom? Summer ### Is Greasewood edible? No ### Is Greasewood toxic? High ### What is Greasewood's lifecycle? Perennial ### How is Greasewood pollinated? Wind ## Where to spot - [Colorado National Monument Visitor Center Complex](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/colorado-national-monument-visitor-center-complex) — Colorado, US · National Park - [Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mono-lake-tufa-state-natural-reserve) — California, US · Nature Reserve - [Chaco Culture National Historical Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chaco-culture-national-historical-park) — New Mexico, US · National Park - [Fort Washakie](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-washakie) — Wyoming, US · Historic Site - [James Cant Ranch](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/james-cant-ranch) — Oregon, US · Historic Site - [Saddlehorn Utility Area Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/saddlehorn-utility-area-historic-district) — Colorado, US · Historic District [View all places to see Greasewood](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/greasewood) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Greasewood: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/greasewood)