Deer Plant is an airy, long-lived subshrub of the pea family that naturally inhabits the dry landscapes of California, Arizona, and northern Mexico. Its upright green stems, lightly branched and clothed with small, seasonally shed leaves, allow it to thrive in chaparral, coastal dunes, and other open, disturbed sites below 4,900 feet. From early spring through late summer, rounded clusters of soft yellow blossoms are borne at the stem tips, gradually taking on reddish tones with age before developing into slender, curved seed pods. As a nitrogen-fixing pioneer species with exceptional value for pollinators and other wildlife, Deer Plant is widely used in restoration projects and makes a handsome, easy-care addition to water-wise and native plant gardens.