 Wyoming is known for supporting some of North America's largest sagebrush ecosystems. While this may look like another sagebrush patch, I'm standing next to antelope bitterbrush, another very important shrub in this community. With so many other beautiful plant species in Wyoming, it's understandable why antelope bitterbrush is often overlooked as a common Wyoming plant species. Antelope bitterbrush is a perennial evergreen shrub that serves a critical role in sagebrush ecosystems. Sagebrush grows on a variety of soils, elevation, and precipitation zones. Antelope bitterbrush is an important food source for livestock and wildlife. Large ungulates, especially mule deer, depend on bitterbrush during winter months as a food source. Small mammals such as chipmunks also rely on bitterbrush for food and are believed to be the main distributor of the plant. Chipmunks collect seeds and then bury seeds in caches. Forgotten or uneaten seeds eventually turn into new plants. Antelope bitterbrush is also a nitrogen fixing plant, which means it is able to use root nodules to collect nitrogen from the atmosphere and then place that nitrogen into the soil. Nitrogen placed into the soil is an important nutrient used by other plants. Next time you're out walking, take a closer look to see if you can find this evergreen shrub antelope bitterbrush. From the University of Wyoming Extension, I'm Mae Smith, Exploring the Nature of Wyoming.