Larrea tridentata (creosotebush) (gobernadora )

These strong-scented, resinous shrubs form extensive stands throughout the warm deserts of the Americas. Although the yellow, five-petalled flowers are small, they offer color where drought eliminates other hues. The 5, 000-500, 000 flowers produces by a single creosotebush in an average year attracts bees, wasps and flies. Petals twist 90 degrees if they've been pollinated. Sonoran Desert creosote blooms peak in March and April, and enlargement is triggered by a drenching rain following a drought, but flowering itself does not occur until the soil begins to dry out again. The bush is found on flats, bajadas, and hills below 4,500 feet. "Arizona Highways Presents Desert Wildflowers, 1988".