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Deerweed

Acmispon glaber

Last reviewed: August 2026

Deerweed (Acmispon glaber)
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters, no known copyright restrictions (public domain)

Light

full sun

Water

low

Size

24"–60" H × 24"–48" W

Bloom

Mar, Apr, May, Jun

Native to

AZ, CA

Pollinators

bees, butterflies

Before you buy

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A sprawling, wiry-stemmed subshrub with sparse small leaves and small pea-like yellow flowers that fade to orange and red. It is often one of the first shrubs to colonize open or recently burned ground.

Wildlife value

Host plant for acmon blue, bramble hairstreak.

An important larval host for several native blue butterflies, and its flowers support a range of bees through spring.

Common questions

How much sun does Deerweed need?
Deerweed grows best in full sun conditions.
When does Deerweed bloom?
Deerweed blooms in March, April, May, and June.
Where is Deerweed native?
Deerweed (Acmispon glaber) is native to AZ, CA, per vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists.
What butterflies or moths does Deerweed host?
Deerweed is a larval host plant for acmon blue and bramble hairstreak.

Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.

Ready to grow Deerweed? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.

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