Acmispon glaber is a perennial subshrub in the pea family native to California, Arizona, and Baja California, growing in chaparral, coastal scrub, and disturbed roadsides below 1,500 m. In garden use it forms a mounding, fast-covering plant with small yellow pea flowers that age to orange-red from late winter through early summer, tolerates lean and rocky soil, and requires virtually no supplemental water once established.
As a pioneer legume, deerweed fixes atmospheric nitrogen through root nodules, improving soil fertility for neighboring plants and making it well-suited to depleted or post-construction sites. It resprouts vigorously after fire and is often one of the first woody plants to colonize bare slopes after disturbance. The plant is drought-deciduous, dropping leaves in peak summer heat before resuming growth with fall rains. It serves as a larval host for the acmon blue, gray hairstreak, and related native butterflies.
Ecoregions:Marine West Coast ForestNorth American DesertsMediterranean California
Root rot
Plants wilt, yellow, and stunt even in moist soil; lower stems and roots turn brown, soft, and mushy and the plant may collapse. Most common in heavy, wet, or poorly drained ground.
Improve drainage and stop overwatering, and never plant too deep. Lift and destroy badly affected plants along with the soil around the roots. Grow in raised or free-draining beds to prevent it returning.
Powdery mildew
White or grey powdery coating on leaves - usually starting on older growth in humid conditions or when nights cool.
Improve air circulation by thinning plants. Apply neem oil or potassium bicarbonate spray at first sign. Avoid overhead watering.