Nov 13, 2018
The “Creosote Bush” mentioned in this video, is Larrea Tridentata, also known as greaseweed. It is a desert plant, and is also one of the longest-living known organisms on this planet, with a particular bush in the Mojave Desert named “King Clone” being dated at nearly 12,000 years of age.
Its allelopathy is responsible for its uniform dispersal, and likely its longevity due to its ability to keep invaders out. While it could potentially be a nurse plant due to shade provision for seeds in the desert, its deep root system protects it from burrowing rodent herbivory, while shallow rooted plants surrounding it fall prey.
