Leatherstem

Sun or part shade. Deciduous, with thick glossy leaves and white flowers in late spring. The arching rubbery stems form small spreading colonies that make excellent drought- and cold-hardy specimens for any xeric landscape; shrub-like during the warm season. Leatherstem is most striking when leafless in winter. Native Americans used the yellowish sap as an astringent; it turns red when exposed to air, hence the nickname “Dragon’s Blood.”