Mormon Tea

Ephedra aspera

Liz Makings

Plant Type(s)	Shrub
Native to Arizona	Yes!
Water Needs	Low
Sun	Full sun, partial shade
Pollinators	Wind
Has Spines	No
Size In relative feet, width by height	4-5' × 4-5'
Flowering Season	January-April
Flower Color	Greenish/yellow
Minimum Temperature Range	0 °F
Leaf Description	Scaly needles
Fruit	Single seeded "cones"
View on SEINet	View SEINet Entry
Range Map	View SEINet Range Map
Elevation Range	1000-4000 ft.
Description	Ephedra is a particularly fascinating genus of plants in that its evolutionary history stretches back millions of years. In fact, as a gymnosperm, Ephedra is more closely related to pines and junipers than flowering shrubs. These unusual plants produce scaly, needle like leaves, but photosynthesize primarily through their green to greyish stems. They produce pollen and seed bearing cones which occur on seperate individuals. The range of this species covers much of southern, western, and northwestern Arizona, but it is not ideal for high elevation gardens. In a landscape Ephedras could be planted on a well draining mound with cacti and xeric shrubs such as foothills palo verde (Parkinsonia microphylla), greythorn (Zizyphus obtusifolia), and Engelmann's prickly pear (Opuntia engelmanii).