brittlebush

noun

brit·​tle·​bush ˈbri-tᵊl-ˌbu̇sh How to pronounce brittlebush (audio)
: any of a genus (Encelia) of composite plants having brittle stems
especially : a perennial desert shrub (E. farinosa) of the southwestern U.S. and adjacent Mexico with yellow flowers blooming above dense usually grayish-green foliage

Examples of brittlebush in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Lake Pleasant Regional Park The rolling hills above Lake Pleasant are often shaggy with bouquets of brittlebush. Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 24 Feb. 2024 But the park does contain a healthy portion of brittlebush that should be in full bloom around mid-April. Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2023 Even if the poppies are sporadic, there’s usually nice color at Lost Dutchman thanks to perennials such as chuparosa, globemallow and brittlebush. Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 19 Feb. 2021 Off-roaders have been known to race in the vicinity, with what's left of the town's roofs slanting shadows across doorways and silvery green stands of brittlebush. Chris Malloy, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 June 2020 There were flowers that sound like Harry Potter creatures — bladder pod, brittlebush, lupine — on the coast, and gifts from the occult — desert star, ghost flowers, phacelia — farther inland. Danielle Pergament, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2020 Our little patch of Anza-Borrego even came pre-decorated with a yellow brittlebush and pretty red chuparosas. Danielle Pergament, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2020 At the base lies the saguaro-and-brittlebush landscape of the Sonoran Desert. Sunset, 22 Jan. 2018 Despite the fact that not a drop of rainwater has fallen in the desert yet this winter, there were actually a few blooming plants, including a brittlebush, tipped with happy yellow flowers, and a few delicate red blossoms on chuparosa bushes. Ernie Cowan Outdoors, sandiegouniontribune.com, 8 Jan. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'brittlebush.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of brittlebush was in 1903

Dictionary Entries Near brittlebush

Cite this Entry

“Brittlebush.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brittlebush. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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