Just Another Desert "Weed"

...And on the other hand...cheese weed, cheese bush or Hymenoclea salosa was abundant on our lot when we bought it. So far, I can see nothing to recommend it as an addition to your desert garden other than it can certainly be considered a native to the area. No other plant caused us so much effort everywhere in the garden and, in fact, still requires a modicum of our energies.

Hymenoclea is a large plant which grows to be about the size of a large tumbleweed. Atop the berm and on either side of the roadside were many of these dead-looking plants which needed to be removed. We had rented a bin for construction refuse which was filled several times with dead Hymenoclea...not as easy as it sounds! Sometimes, the Jeep had to be employed for removal of the old dead roots and scratchy twigs. Our garden plan was to keep the roadside parts of our lot fairly clear to allow an open view into our newly planted "desert garden". After our "no yard work" life at the beach, clearing all those plants seemed like real work! Let me pass on a few tips for that type garden activity: Heavy rubber rain boots offer the best leg protection for any heavy activity of this type. ( they also offer cactus burr and Palo verde twig protection. ) A large bin is also a boon when first preparing a lot. It will save you many trips to the dump!

We have kept a few cheese bush plants in the garden just because we want to maintain the natural native plant community members on site. Live Hymenoclea is a fairly large woody plant with thin bright green leaves and parchment papery-like pale yellow flower clusters. Many people can detect a cheese-like odor emitting from the plant...hence, the name. I imagine the seeds are consumed by various desert wildlife. We have found cheese bush in our garden benefit by a radical annual pruning.