Rabbitbrush

Like a woman's hair

rabbitbrush displays a life,

from its gray, wind-matted roots

to its maidenly green straws

still tufted with yellow stars.

Rabbitbrush, or Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, is one of the few plants that grow abundantly in our little microclimate, which is low on precipitation and high in altitude. The prairie winds expose the roots of these perennial shrubs, flattening them into shredded whorls on the ground. During rain or snow, the straw-like stems turn plump and green. When the water disappears, their skeletal remains cling to the dust, withstanding the harsh winds until water coaxes them to life again. These shrubs are amazingly hardy, flourishing in this cold, dry, thin air where little else survives in the way of flora.