Mormon-tea is a 3 ft. spiky shrub native throughout the West. The leafless, bright green jointed stems provide a strong vertical form. Paired, bristle-tipped leaves split and fall off early leaving a leafless, broom-like shrub. Photosynthesis takes places on the stems instead of the leaves. Pollen cones and seed cones occur on separate plants. Instead of flowers, male plants produce yellow, oval-shaped pollen cones, in pairs (6 to 10) from the leaf nodes, and these have protruding appendages, topped by yellow-brown enclosures from where spores are emitted. Female plants produce greenish seed codes;these are similar in size to the pollen codes, are enclosed by several pairs of green bracts, and contain two seeds. Plant in full sun and provide excellent drainage.