Black greasewood
Discuss this plant with the guide — choose this profile as a possible match and prepare your observations for Colorado Plants & Practical Care.
Sarcobatus vermiculatus
Native Colorado plant · not on state Lists A/B/C. C-floristic-2020 CO-rules-2025
Oxalate poisoning can be fatal to livestock. Exposure help.
Identification caveat: Greasewood is also a common name for unrelated shrubs. This account is Sarcobatus vermiculatus, not creosote bush. Livestock treatment and adaptation schedules in older sources are not reproduced.
Still researching this plant
This is a sourced working profile. Evidence is incomplete for People, Dogs & cats. Identification and source-photo limits are explained below. Independent botanical and veterinary review is pending. Uncertainty is not a finding that the plant is safe.
Three views of this plant
Source-identified reference photographs; these are not a complete identification key. A source location outside Colorado does not establish local occurrence.
John Gaskin · CC0 1.0
Photo source and identification
Original record · Original image
Explicit iNaturalist observation taxon and Research Grade community identification; photograph visually reviewed for depicted features. This is source identification, not a new independent botanical determination. Source identifies this plant to species; no variety or subspecies determination is asserted.
Downloaded iNaturalist large rendition; downloaded bytes retained unchanged. No local crop, retouching, or generative editing. Gallery display preserves the full image; catalog preview may use a CSS crop.
John Gaskin · CC0 1.0
Photo source and identification
Original record · Original image
Explicit iNaturalist observation taxon and Research Grade community identification; photograph visually reviewed for depicted features. This is source identification, not a new independent botanical determination. Source identifies this plant to species; no variety or subspecies determination is asserted.
Downloaded iNaturalist large rendition; downloaded bytes retained unchanged. No local crop, retouching, or generative editing. Gallery display preserves the full image; catalog preview may use a CSS crop.
Dustin Snider · CC BY 4.0
Photo source and identification
Original record · Original image
Explicit iNaturalist observation taxon and Research Grade community identification; photograph visually reviewed for depicted features. This is source identification, not a new independent botanical determination. Source identifies this plant to species; no variety or subspecies determination is asserted.
Downloaded iNaturalist large rendition; downloaded bytes retained unchanged. No local crop, retouching, or generative editing. Gallery display preserves the full image; catalog preview may use a CSS crop.
Identification
A woody shrub of saline ground with stiff, thorn-tipped branches, narrow fleshy leaves and small pale flowers. A-greasewood
People
Thorny branches are a contact hazard. Human ingestion safety has not been established in the reviewed material. A-greasewood
Evidence scope: Handling precaution inferred from structure.
Dogs & cats
Avoid contact with sharp branches. Livestock oxalate findings do not establish a pet-specific dose or clinical outcome. A-greasewood
Evidence scope: Contact precaution; pet toxicology unresolved.
Other animals
Rapid heavy consumption can cause fatal oxalate poisoning in sheep and cattle. Risk varies with season, plant chemistry and other forage; do not use this page to calculate a safe ration. A-greasewood
Plants & habitat
A native component of saline basins, it provides wildlife cover and browse. Dense stands require ecological assessment, not automatic treatment as an introduced invader. F-sarcobatus
Management & timing
Ask a range specialist to assess forage access and the saline site before treatment. Existing browse value does not justify feeding an untested amount. A-greasewood F-sarcobatus
Evidence scope: Management synthesis.
Before taking action
Confirm identification and the requirements of your county weed program. For chemical treatment, follow the current product label, including restrictions around animals and water. S27
References
- C-floristic-2020 — Colorado Floristic Quality Assessment: 2020 Update, Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University. Accessed 2026-09-07T02:27:33+00:00. Locator: Appendix B, Colorado species list: scientific name and native/non-native fields.
- CO-rules-2025 — Colorado Noxious Weed Act rules, 8 CCR 1206-2, Colorado Secretary of State / Department of Agriculture. Accessed 2026-09-07T01:07:48+00:00. Locator: Parts 3.1, 4.1, 5.1; management provisions; effective May 15, 2025.
- A-greasewood — Greasewood (Sarcobatus vermiculatus), USDA Agricultural Research Service. Accessed 2026-09-07T02:24:50+00:00. Locator: Identification, distribution and livestock poisoning; treatment instructions excluded.
- F-sarcobatus — Black greasewood, USDA Forest Service, Fire Effects Information System. Accessed 2026-09-07T02:24:48+00:00. Locator: Taxonomy, distribution, botanical description, wildlife/livestock values and management.
- S27 — 2103 – Colorado Noxious Weeds, PlantTalk Colorado · CSU Extension. Accessed 2026-09-07T00:23:57+00:00. Locator: List A, B and C management categories.