# Stansbury's Cliffrose (*Purshia stansburyana*) Stansbury's Cliffrose is a special shrub that grows in dry, rocky places. It has beautiful yellow flowers and thick, green leaves that help it survive in tough conditions. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 11 - **Habitat:** Desert ![Stansbury's Cliffrose](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Purshia_stansburiana_5.jpg&width=800) Photo: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Purshia_stansburiana_5.jpg) ## Appearance The Stansbury's Cliffrose is a hardy shrub featuring small, bright yellow, five-petaled flowers that bloom in spring. Its evergreen leaves are tiny, leathery, and often deeply lobed, giving it a somewhat coarse texture. The bark is typically grayish-brown and shaggy on older stems. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Rosales - **Family:** Rosaceae - **Genus:** Purshia ## Interesting facts - Its unique seeds look like tiny shuttlecocks, ready to launch with the wind! - Native Americans used its strong wood to make tools and its leaves for teas! - The fragrant yellow flowers are like a sweet magnet for busy bees and other helpful insects! - This tough plant can live for over a hundred years in harsh desert environments! ## Special abilities - **Water Wizard Roots:** Stansbury's Cliffrose has incredibly long taproots that can reach deep underground for hidden water, helping it survive in dry deserts. - **Feathery Seed Flyers:** Stansbury's Cliffrose produces seeds with long, feathery plumes that catch the wind, helping them travel far to new growing spots. - **Fire Recovery Power:** Stansbury's Cliffrose can resprout from its robust root crown after wildfires, allowing it to recover and regrow quickly. - **Cliff Clinger Grip:** Stansbury's Cliffrose can grow directly out of rocky crevices and cliffs, anchoring itself firmly with strong, flexible roots. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 100-300 cm - **Spread:** 100-250 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to early summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Two-Form Bumblebee (*Bombus bifarius*) — Gathers nectar and pollen from flowers. - **Eats:** [Mule Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mule-deer) (*Odocoileus hemionus*) — Browses on its leaves and twigs, especially in winter. - **Eats:** [Deer Mouse](https://www.snappit.app/explore/deer-mouse) (*Peromyscus maniculatus*) — Consumes its nutritious seeds, helping with dispersal. ## 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. - [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [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. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. ## 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 Stansbury's Cliffrose? 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 Stansbury's Cliffrose? 100-300 cm ### How wide does Stansbury's Cliffrose spread? 100-250 cm ### How big are the flowers on Stansbury's Cliffrose? 1-2 cm ### When does Stansbury's Cliffrose bloom? Spring to early summer ### Is Stansbury's Cliffrose edible? No ### Is Stansbury's Cliffrose toxic? None ### What is Stansbury's Cliffrose's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/red-rock-canyon-national-conservation-area) — Nevada, US · Nature Reserve - [Chaco Culture National Historical Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chaco-culture-national-historical-park) — New Mexico, US · National Park - [Grand Canyon Inn and Campground](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/grand-canyon-inn-and-campground) — Arizona, US · Historic Site - [Grand Canyon North Rim Headquarters](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/grand-canyon-north-rim-headquarters) — Arizona, US · Historic District - [Grandview Mine](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/grandview-mine) — Arizona, US · Historic Site - [Painted Desert Community Complex Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/painted-desert-community-complex-historic-district) — Arizona, US · Historic District [View all places to see Stansbury's Cliffrose](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/stansburys-cliffrose) ## 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: [Stansbury's Cliffrose: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/stansburys-cliffrose)