Larrea tridentata

A member of the Zygophyllaceae (caltrop) family, the creosote bush, Larrea tridentata, belongs to a flowering-plant family of more than 250 members worldwide, many of which are native to desert regions. Creosote bush is abundant in three of the four North American deserts, i.e. the Mojave, the Sonoran, and the Chihuahuan Deserts. In the United States, L. tridentata occurs in the states of Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah. Most Agassiz’s desert tortoises, Gopherus agassizii