A workhorse of a shrub for Morongo Basin gardens is the native Sugar Bush (Rhus ovata). Use this plant as a windbreak, for hedging or by itself as a specimen plant. It enjoys full sun and plenty of space to spread out.

Young Sugar Bush in 29 Palms, CA. Photo by Cole Gibson
Sugar Bush can grow as large as a tree with regular water, but does just fine with occasional watering during drought (1x a month). According to Calscape, a downside to Sugar Bush is that it often outgrows its space, so plant it with its future size in mind!

Photo by Cole Gibson
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