Elbowbush
Forestiera pubescensAlso called Elbow Bush
Elbowbush is a shrub native to the Texas Hill Country that grows 4–6 ft tall and 4–5 ft wide. It wants full sun or part shade and very low water, and handles clay soil. Blooms yellow and green in Jan–Mar. Good for birds and butterflies.
Will it grow in your yard?
Enter your ZIP. The finder checks Elbowbush against your microclimate, then ranks it against your sun, your watering and deer pressure.
From our guide
Village of the HillsLoose deciduous shrub with arching branches, tiny early flowers on bare wood and blue-black fruit.
Why it works here
One of the very first things to bloom, feeding bees in February. Handles dry shade and limestone.
Watch out
Rangy habit — best in a naturalistic planting or as an informal screen, not a tidy hedge.
The facts
8 sources- Type
- Shrub
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade (3+ hrs)
- Water
- Very low
- Height
- 4–6 ft
- Spread
- 4–5 ft
- Bloom
- Jan–Mar · yellow, green
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Soil
- Takes clay · recorded on clay, dry, loam, moist, sand, well drained
- Deer
- Moderate — deer may browse it, especially new growth. Browsed when other forage is scarce
- Wildlife
- Supports birds and butterflies
Where it grows
Recorded in these EPA Level IV ecoregions in the Austin and Hill Country launch area:
3,118 occurrence records in Central Texas (GBIF).
Can you buy it?
In the Village of the Hills guide, but not on the grower stock lists we read yet. Ask a native-plant nursery.