Shrub: Cliffrose is a many-branched shrub that grows up to 8 feet tall. In some excellent growing locations the shrubs can reach up to 20 feet high. In older shrubs, the bark splits into long, fine segments. Leaves are tiny, 1/8- to 5/8 inches long, and are mostly 5-lobed. The leaves are covered with tiny, glandular-dotted hairs that are sticky to the touch.
Range: Cliffrose shrubs are most often found between 3,500 and 8,000 feet in the Rocks, Southwest, and Great Basin regions and into Mexico. Cliffrose grows in pinyon-juniper woodlands and shrublands, often in dry rocky soils. Flowering Cliffrose blooms from midspring until summer, and then if summer rains are plentiful, the plants may bloom again in the late summer.
Native Uses: Many native cultures used Cliffrose for
a variety of purposes. The Navajo used the shredded bark for padding cradleboards
and forming "pillows" for their infants. "Female" prayer
sticks are made from Cliffrose wood, while "male" prayer sticks
are made from mountain mahogany shrubs. The thin, straight branches were used
for making arrows, and a yellow brown or tan dye was made from the leaves
and stems, when mixed with pounded juniper branches. The Hopi made a tea from
the leaves and twigs to induce vomiting, and as a healing agent for sores
and wounds. Early inhabitants of the Four Corners region also used the shredded
bark of Cliffrose to make mats and clothing; when added to yucca fibers they
made cordage.
Information found @ DesertUSA.com and USDA handbook