Winterfat
Winterfat (Krascheninnikovia lanata)
By Lissa Johnson
“Winter fat”: something some of us humans become familiar with during the season of short, cold days! And something many of our animal cousins survive on during the hibernation months. In this case, though, we’re talking about the native perennial winterfat, so called because it’s a favorite grazing shrub for wild and domesticated animals, providing them with necessary nutrients, especially protein, to help them through long winters. Despite this attention, these plants are long-lived and may last more than 120 years. Perhaps their taproot, up to six feet long, helps support these powers of endurance. The only caveat is that before they are established, younger plants may be damaged by foraging creatures, including rabbits; grasshoppers and Mormon crickets may damage even mature winterfat stands.The plant has habitat throughout the Rocky Mountain range and westward states. In New Mexico it is found at mid-to-higher elevations of 3,500 to 9,500 feet in scrublands, plains, and piñon-juniper woodlands, in a variety of dry soils—sandy, gravelly, clay, limestone, or saline.Winterfat is monoecious (male and female flowers on same plant) and evergreen, with feathery seed heads that form in late summer and fall, giving the plant year-round interest in the landscape. Its membership in the amaranth family (Amaranthaceae) becomes quite obvious once the shrub is in seed. Its grayish-green leaves are alternate, narrow blades about three centimeters long.Planting and care: Quick to germinate, winterfat is primarily wind-pollinated. In full sun it is fast growing, up to three feet tall and wide, and not choosy about soil, as noted above. While it may thrive with 10 to 12 inches of annual precipitation initially, once established it will survive on much less rainfall and therefore does not require supplemental irrigation.Landscape use:Winterfat may be used as an accent plant, often looking best when several plants are clustered together. Although the May through November blooms are quite small, the white seed heads are showy and the woolly stems offer additional interest. These shrubs provide good erosion control; in addition to their deep taproot, they have extensive shallow-root systems.Flower type:perennial shrubBloom time:May through NovemberSize:1–3 feet tall and wideExposure:full sunSoil moisture:dryZones:hardy to zone 3Other advantages:Winterfat is touted for its medicinal properties by New Mexico’s Tewa and Zuni peoples, the latter using it in particular for treating burns.References:
Dunmire, William W., and Gail D. Tierney.Wild Plants of the Pueblo Province(Museum of New Mexico,1995)
Miller, George O. Wildflowers of New Mexico, Winterfat
Morrow, Baker H. Best Plants for New Mexico Gardens and Landscapes, rev. ed. (University of New Mexico, 2016)
SNaPP, A Guide to Native Plants for the Santa Fe Landscape(2018)