Virginia Tech Dendrology

Fremont's dalea Fabaceae Psorothamnus fremontii (Torr. ex A. Gray) Barneby symbol: PSFR
Leaf: Alternate, deciduous with drought or cold, pinnately compound with 3-9 leaflets per leaf, to 3 inches long but usually shorter; leaflets narrowly ovate to linear, to 1 inch long, entire edges, light blue-gray.
Flower: Attractive, pea-like, deep purple-blue, 1/3 inch long, occur at the ends of twigs in long (to 5 inch) clusters, appearing in spring slightly before or with the leaves.
Fruit: Small, odd-looking one-seeded legume, 3/8 inch, egg-shaped, pointed end, covered in dark red glands.
Twig: Slender yellow-green to blue-green; heavily-branched and somewhat spine-tipped.
Bark: Light gray-brown and smooth.
Form: Densely branched, somewhat thorny, multistemmed shrub to 3 feet tall, becoming gnarled with age.
Looks like: Schott indigobush - desert smoke tree

Additional Range Information: Psorothamnus fremontii is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information