Brush - Range & Pasture - Lotebush
BES-TEX BRUSH ID GUIDE
Lotebush
Blue Brush, Gumdrop Tree, Clepe
Ziziphus obtusifolia var. obtusifolia
Plant Type
Rigid, thorny shrub; buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae)
Life Cycle
Perennial; native
Leaf Habit
[PLACEHOLDER]
Typical Height
Up to 6 ft (Texas A&M)
Photo Gallery
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How to Identify It
Quick ID
Branches
- Rigid, intricately branched, greenish gray to blue-gray
- Thorn-tipped branches plus sharp straight thorns along the stems (Texas A&M)
Leaves
- Grayish green, oval to oblong
- Less than 1.5 inches long, entire or shallow-toothed (Texas A&M)
Fruit
- Black, mealy, stone-like, about the size of a pea (Texas A&M)
Wildlife Value
- Good cover for wildlife, especially quail (Texas A&M)
Look-Alikes
Similar thorny shrubs
- How to tell them apart from lotebush: [PLACEHOLDER]
Counter script: "If it is a stiff, blue-gray shrub with thorn-tipped branches and small gray-green leaves, it is most likely lotebush."
Where It Grows
Texas
- Widespread on dry ranges in the central, southern, and western parts of the state (Texas A&M)
- Ecoregions (Texas A&M): Gulf Prairies and Marshes, Post Oak Savannah, Blackland Prairies, Cross Timbers and Prairies, South Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Rolling Plains, High Plains, Trans-Pecos
Oklahoma
- [PLACEHOLDER]
New Mexico
- [PLACEHOLDER]
Sites and soils: Dry ranges (Texas A&M). Soil detail: [PLACEHOLDER]
Best Time to Control
Best treatment timing for lotebush: [PLACEHOLDER]. Follow the product label.
Lotebush is a woody perennial. No pre-emergent herbicide controls lotebush.
Treatment Methods
Cut Stump
- Cut every stem flat, close to (not below) the soil surface
- Brush off soil and sawdust, then spray the cut surface and the sides of the stump right away
- Example product: Remedy Ultra (Corteva); Brush Busters lists lotebush for this method
- Mix (Brush Busters): Remedy Ultra 15% (19 oz per gallon) in diesel or vegetable oil
Foliar and Basal Bark Spray
- Labeled Corteva non-restricted options for these methods: [PLACEHOLDER]
- Rates and mixes: follow the label
Individual Plant vs. Broadcast
- Density guidance for this plant: [PLACEHOLDER]
- Follow the label for broadcast use
Product names are examples only. Always read and follow the product label. For product selection and help, contact BES-TEX at 325.653.1300.
Sources: Brush Busters: How to Avoid Lumps When Treating Cut Stumps (Texas A&M AgriLife); Texas A&M Plants of Texas Rangelands.
