Elbowbush
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- In stock, ready to ship
Common Names: Elbowbush, Stretchberry, Spring Herald, Desert Olive, Tanglewood, Devil's Elbow, Spring Goldenglow, New Mexico Privet, Texas Forsythia
Elbowbush is a charming, deciduous, multi-trunked medium shrub that grows upright into a gentle, rounded vase shape. When pruned, it’s branches often grow back at an angle, hence the name Elbowbush. It’s sharply branching limbs showcase a lovely pale gray bark that beautifully contrasts with the small, bright green leaves. In early spring, delightful clusters of tiny, yellow-green, fragrant blossoms make their appearance, offering a vital source of nectar for our buzzing bee friends. The female plants gift us with numerous small, fleshy blue-black fruits that ripen in late summer, providing a winter feast for many birds and small mammals.
This beautiful shrub thrives in canyons, rocky slopes, and desert flats throughout the Trans-Pecos region, stretching all the way to Utah and California. It’s incredibly resilient and able to tolerate drought and a variety of soil types—even saline. Whether soaking up the sun or basking in partial shade, it adapts well. During extreme drought conditions, it might shed its leaves, but don’t worry; once the main trunks are well established, you can even prune it into a lovely small tree, adding sculptural charm as a striking accent or specimen plant.
Nectar Source: Bees
Fruit Food Source: Birds, Small Mammals
Larval Host: Hairstreak Butterflies (Lycaenidae)
BONAP MAP
Height: 5’-10’
Spread: 5’-8’
Bloom: Jan - March
Light: Full Sun - Dappled Shade
Water: Low - Medium
Zone: 8 - 9
Origin: Texas, Southwestern U.S., and Chihuahua, Mexico
Spring Shipping:
Orders are shipped within 7-10 business days. We will email you if there are expected delays.
When you order plants from our nursery, you can expect them to arrive in the best possible condition. Our team carefully packs each order using sturdy, biodegradable packaging materials.
Your plants' appearance may vary depending on the season and their current growth stage. We may cut back the leafy growth of some plants to prepare them for shipment and transplanting.
5 Gallon and Up: Any plant purchased to ship over 5 Gallons will be shipped bare root. This means we will remove the plant from its original pot, remove the soil surrounding the roots, and wrap the roots with a biodegradable plastic bag. This reduces weight and the likelihood of damage during shipping.
Once your plants arrive, it is essential to plant them as soon as possible. This will help them rebound and thrive. If you cannot plant immediately, water regularly and keep the roots off heat-conducting surfaces.
Newly transplanted plants often require more water until their roots are well established. Plan to water them 1-3 times weekly for the first few months.
