I suppose there is no crime in trying ....

I'll have lots of seeds available soon ... maybe a very small plant ???? ... although I am not current on what if any of those options would work ... I currently have about 14 plants under cultivation and several zillion within walking distance .... they are sold here at nurserys as well ....

Good Day ....

It can't survive outside in CO

You might b eable to nurse one along inside ... but they THRIVE in full desert sun, so giving it enough light will be difficult.

They do live at elavations as high as 5,000 feet .... not exactly warm at night .... but not as harsh as Denver ofcourse .... I'm not sure about thriving in desert sun ... they survive but grow slow in the desert ... so how would they react to better conditions ????

Good Day ....

I think creasote bush would grow in Denver. I gardened in Farmington N.M. 5000ft, zone 4. It grows everywhere there. the climate is very nearly the same both places.
the Denver Botanic Garden is a great source of info. so is Denver Water.

Thank you guys so much for all of your feedback. I'll check out the Botanic Gardens and other suggesions. Thanks again!

Don't forget to look for the plant sale coming up in May at the Botanic Gardens.

The Creosotes are in full bloom now in Southern Nevada...

Good Day .....

I would like some seed and instructions on how to get them started - anyone care to reply?

Thanks!
Stuart

I'd be glad to get you some seed ... how to grow them ... thats you task ... let me know ??

Good Day ...

seedman.com has them, with "germination" instructions - I guess that means "how to get them started" words of wisdom! I am no gardener (yet) but I have a hankerin' for getting the creosote going here, as the smell is really cool...

I'm at 5000 feet in the high desert and thus far I've had no luck transplanting a creosote bush here...even nursery-grown stock! I did have success transplanting them at 4500 ft. I am dying to have one here! Would seed-starting be better than transplanting?

Texes Alps ...

You can try ... I have seed down the block ...your elavation is about the upper limit of Creosote out here in Southern Nevada ...

Good Day ...

Here in Apple Valley, Victor Valley, CA, Mojave Desert, during the present drought I have observed a little known and remarkable phenomenon with the creosote bush, also incorrectly called greasewood, wherein the tips of the branches fall off as if neatly trimmed by a human agency using a pruner

I'd like to insert a snapshot but lately Bill Gates stubbornly resists any attempt on my part to copy and paste a photo. However, I'd be most happy to share this with anyone interested. I am dalehileman@verizon.net

God bless Bill Gates

For his charitable works, not for Windows/Outlook

I doubt it has a chance in you know what outside that far north in Colorado. The prolonged wet and cold that you will see will kill it. Sorry to be so pessimistic, but if mother nature couldn't get it up there on its own given its huge natural range and how adaptible it is, its doubtful it can survive the cold.

Hey there Biscuit,

Thought I'd chime in with my two cents about creosote, which I also am very fond of (I plan to try it soon in zone 6 Northern NM).

First, in regards to what Grubbyknees wrote about there being creosote everywhere in Farmington, NM... unless those are landscape plants, there must be some confusion, since the creosote we're talking about is definitely not part of the natural flora of Northwestern NM. If they are landscape plants, well, that would be very good news for anyone trying to grow creosote in Denver. I hope this clarifies why you had one completely optimistic response and several pessimistic ones.

Second, there are several different forms of creosote, the most cold hardy (and the fullest) being the Chihuahuan Desert form, which reaches its northermost range limit at the southern fringes of Albuquerque NM. There it grows on the upper south faces of mesas above the Rio Grande, between 5,000 and 5,500 feet elevation, from what I can tell (the Rio there is just under 5,000 feet elevation). These populations would definitely be the place to start for cold hardy creosote. In terms of success in Denver, I would not rule it out. A good, sunny and dry microclimate, and some protection during severe cold snaps could do wonders.

Good Luck,
Chris

The creosote that stops at Isleta Pueblo near Albq., NM, might be worth a shot as those plants have certainly seen below zero temperatures, since all of the Albuquerque region has seen that temperature in the past, although we're talking once in 20 years. Record low in Albq. is -17 F. Since close to or below zero temps are likely in Denver every year this might be the ecotype worth looking into, but I still doubt it will make it. Please give it a go, though! Nothing to lose.

I don't know if growing a creosote will work, but if it doesn't- I have found the next best thing: a salve that smells exactly like creosote bushes after the rain. I love it. It's made by creosote bush salve co :) out of Alpine, Tx