MIDTOWN FARM - Encelia farinosa | brittle bush | incienso | tohaws

Common Names:  

English: brittlebush

Spanish: incienso, yerba del vaso

Tohono O’odham: tohaws

Botanical Name: 

Encelia farinose

Family:

Asteraceae

Distribution:

Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and California (elevation: < 3,000 feet). Generally, grows on dry rocky mountain sides.

Flowering Season:

March to May

Medicinal Uses:

Brittle bush has been shown to have sedative properties but also has many other medicinal uses.  

A tea or tincture using the leaves of the plant can be used to treat hay fever, allergies, congestion, joint pain, and headaches. Chewing the twigs of brittle bush is used for toothaches, earaches, sore gums, and cold sores. Externally, it can be applied to open wounds or to sore joints. As a fresh flower poultice, brittle bush reduces pain and promotes healing due to the plant’s anesthetic, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing properties. The sap is also a medicinal part of the plant along with the vegetative parts.

The sap from brittle bush can be ingested directly to help loosen mucus. Internal ingestion can also increase the lubrication of the eyes to alleviate dryness or itchiness.

References Cited:

Slattery, John. Southwest Medicinal Plants: Identify, Harvest, and Use 112 Wild Plants for Health and Wellness. 2020. Print.

Kane, Charles W. Medicinal Plants of the American Southwest. 1st ed. United States]: Lincoln Town, 2011. Print.