This upright shrub grows in dry areas and gets to be about 3'. It looks like a cluster of green stems or twigs. It is naturally to be found in a variety of habitats including chaparral and grasslands. It is very drought tolerant. It attracts birds and the stems can be used to make tea. Both the roots adn the stems have been used medicinally in the past; uses include blood purification  flushing the kidneys and to treat internal bleeding and venereal disease.