Mormon Tea

Ephedra viridis Coville

Mormon-tea family

Plant Type

Shrub

Life Cycle

Perennial

Mature Height

3.0 feet

Flower Color

Yellow

Bloom Time

Mid Spring

Growing Conditions

Light

Shade Tolerance Intermediate

Water

Water Use Low

Drought Tolerance High

Flood Tolerance None

Soil

Soil Types Loam, Sand

CaCO3 Tolerance High

Fertility Need Medium

Stress Tolerance

Fire Tolerance High

Salt Tolerance High

Climate

pH Range 7.0 – 8.0

Frost-Free Days 150 days

Precipitation 6 – 12 in

Ecosystem & Wildlife

Pollinators Native Bees

Fall Color No

Evergreen No

Native Range

USA: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming

Regional Native Status: L48 (N)

State-level native status is based on data available through Plants of the World Online. Regional Native Status comes from the USDA Plants Database. For more detailed native status information, please refer to BONAP.