Winterfat

Appearance

The tops of the stem branches are occupied by plentiful spike inflorescences from March to June.[3] The shrub is generally monoecious, with each upright inflorescence holding mostly staminate flowers with a few pistillate flowers clustered near the bottom. The staminate flowers have large, woolly leaflike bracts.

The pistillate flowers have smaller bracts and develop tiny white fruits. The silky hairs on the fruits allow for wind dispersal.

Distribution

It is native to much of western North America: from central Western Canada; through the Western United States; to northern Mexico.

Habitat

Winterfat grows in a great variety of habitats at 100–2,700 metres (330–8,860 ft) in elevation—from grassland plains and xeric scrublands to rain shadow faces of montane locations.[3]

Winterfat is a halophyte that thrives in salty soils such as those on alkali flats, including those of the Great Basin, Central Valley, Great Plains, and Mojave Desert.

Uses

This species is an important winter forage for grazing domestic and wild animals because it is evergreen, hence its common name.[1]
Cultivation

Winterfat is sometimes grown in xeriscape or native plant gardens for its striking whitish wool. It is especially valued for the fall and winter interest it provides in gardens. Small plants are easily transplanted.[4]
Native American use

Winter fat was a traditional medicinal plant used by many Native American tribes that lived within its large North American range. These tribes used traditional plants to treat a wide variety of ailments and for other benefits.[5] The Zuni people use a poultice of ground root bound with a cotton cloth to treat burns.[6]

Cultural

Krascheninnikovia lanata is cultivated in the specialty plant nursery trade as an ornamental plant for xeriscape and wildlife gardens, and native plant natural landscapes. The light gray foliage can be a distinctive feature in garden designs. The plants are very long-lived.