Deerweed
Acmispon glaber
Last reviewed: November 2026
Deerweed (Acmispon glaber) is a perennial shrub native to AZ, CA. It blooms in March, April, May, and June. The flowers draw bees and butterflies.
Watering reminders and freeze alerts for Deerweed, free in the app.
Toxicity unknown
Deerweed (Acmispon glaber) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.
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
Your city may pay you to plant this
Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 461 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.
Find rebates in your areaPicture natives in your own yard
Upload a photo of your yard and Patch Vision shows a rendering of it planted with natives for your region, like Deerweed.
Browse plants for this ecoregion
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.
Growing Deerweed
Grow Deerweed in full sun and low water. Mature plants reach 24 to 60 inches tall and spread 24 to 48 inches wide.
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.
If something looks wrong
Common plant problems, and what to check first
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
Ready to grow Deerweed? Add it to your garden in the Pollinator Patch App to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.