 This Wyoming shrub is called Rabbit Brush. Some people consider it a weed, but yet others consider it a valuable part of their home landscape. As the name implies, rabbits do eat it and hide under it, and it actually does contain a bit of rubber. Because it also contains chemicals called terpins, Rabbit Brush has a fairly strong order that many folks find unpleasant. Native Americans brewed it for tea and used it for chewing gum, yellow dye, and medicine. Rabbit Brush is native to Wyoming. There are four species and numerous subspecies in the state. It's a fairly close kin, too, and often grows with sagebrush. Range managers consider Rabbit Brush a sign of disturbance and overgrazing. It's moderately toxic, if catalyped much of it, though sheep and wildlife browse on Rabbit Brush at times. It's hard to control because it's well adapted to our range lands and competes well with other range plants. Still, it can be a magnificent plant in a xeriscape. Once established, it requires little care and it provides a brilliant color late into the fall. Like many other Wyoming native plants, this can handle tough conditions, soil, and climate. Whether Rabbit Brush is a nuisance or a thing of beauty, it truly is in the eye of the beholder. I'm Tom Hill for the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service.