A Powerful, Healing Shrub Grows Wild Throughout Southern Idaho

The desert of southern Idaho is a popular destination for rock climbing, hiking, camping, wildlife viewing, and botany hobbyists. A popular national reserve southeast of Twin Falls has an abundance of wild-grown plants that both humans and animals have been benefiting from for centuries.

City of Rocks National Reserve in Almo is located approximately 65 miles southeast of Twin Falls and attracts visitors from across the world. The rock spires, hiking and mountain biking trails, campsites, and dozens of species of desert flowers are huge reasons people flock to the area. Almo also has an interesting historical past.

These shrubs found within park and reserve boundaries should not be picked or harvested by humans as they are protected.

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For centuries, settlers and explorers used the lands of southern Idaho to navigate further west seeking riches, opportunities to trade, a more suitable climate to grow food and manage livestock, and access to the Pacific Ocean. They also lived off the land and used many regional plants in attempts to heal themselves, and one such shrub still grows wild throughout the state today.

Purshia tridentata, also known as Bitterbrush can be found all over Idaho. It grows primarily in the western United States and Canada and has been used by humans in tea form for its natural soothing properties for gastrointestinal ailments, as a cough suppressant, lung issues, and flu-like symptoms, according to medivetus.com.

The plant is also a vital food source for reptiles, rodents, and other small animals. These shrubs found within park and reserve boundaries should not be picked or harvested by humans as they are protected.