Smoke tree
Psorothamnus spinosus
Last reviewed: September 2026
Toxicity unknown
Smoke tree (Psorothamnus spinosus) 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
96"–300" H × 96"–240" W
Bloom
May, Jun
Native to
AZ, CA, NV
Pollinators
bees
Before you buy
Your city may pay you to plant this
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A spiny, silvery-blue-gray small tree with sparse thorny branches and short-lived leaves that drop quickly in drought, leaving mostly bare stems most of the year. Produces fragrant violet-purple pea flowers in late spring along desert washes, giving the whole plant a soft smoky color from a distance.
Wildlife value
As a nitrogen-fixing legume it improves poor desert wash soils, and its fragrant flowers are a strong draw for native bees.
Common questions
- How much sun does Smoke tree need?
- Smoke tree grows best in full sun conditions.
- When does Smoke tree bloom?
- Smoke tree blooms in May and June.
- Where is Smoke tree native?
- Smoke tree (Psorothamnus spinosus) is native to AZ, CA, NV, per vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists.
- What pollinators does Smoke tree attract?
- Smoke tree draws bees.
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
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