Aloysia gratissima aka Common Bee Brush

Aloysia gratissima is a woody shrub in the verbena family. Its common names include whitebrush and Chihuahuan beebrush. Its native range spans Arizona to Texas and Mexico. It also grows from Brazil to northern Argentina. Other records include Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay. It occurs in sandy desert soils and seasonally dry climates. People grow it as well as gather wild plants.

Whitebrush forms an aromatic shrub with evergreen growth in warm conditions. Sources place its height at about 6.6–9.8 feet (2–3 metres). Its spread can reach 9.8 feet (3 metres). It grows fast, according to Plants For A Future. Frost may cause the plant to shed its leaves. This makes its leaf cover depend in part on climate. The supplied species accounts give few details about leaf shape. They do not describe its bark or fruit.

The small flowers supply nectar for bees and butterflies. Bees and other insects pollinate them. Summer rain can prompt the shrub to bloom. The evidence gives no fixed flowering months for all regions. Gardeners value the plant as a nectar source in dry gardens. People also grow it to hold sand dunes in place. Records describe this use in Argentina. It also serves in planting schemes that limit soil loss.

Give whitebrush full sun and soil that drains well. Shade does not suit it, and full sun supports dense growth. Sandy, rocky, and gravelly sites suit its needs. It also grows in loam and soil low in nutrients. It accepts mildly acid through strongly alkaline soils. It can cope with salt in soil and coastal exposure. The shrub tolerates drought, but also grows in moist soil. Plants For A Future lists USDA zones 7–9. Other evidence confirms some frost tolerance without defining a temperature limit.

Plants For A Future reports tea use of leaves and flowers. It describes a mild herbal drink with a fruity taste. Useful Tropical Plants lists no known edible uses, so the accounts differ. Traditional medicine uses flower infusions for colds and catarrh. These records do not establish that such treatments work. Both accounts list no known hazards, rather than proof of safety. The supplied evidence names no specific pests or diseases. Seed is the listed means of propagation.