Desert trumpet is an annual that is native to the southwest US and northwest Mexico and is in the knotweed (Polygonaceae) family. Although it is considered an annual, its roots can tap deeply enough to help the plant to survive for a few seasons. It is commonly called Indian Pipeweed or Native American Pipeweed due to the dried stems used by Native Americans as tobacco pipes. The scientific name comes from the Greek words for 'wool', which is 'Erio' and 'gono' for 'knee', which refers to the woolly leaves and the swollen joints of this plant. It can typically be found at elevations of 100 to 5900 feet. In lower elevations, it's likely to be found growing in sandy or gravelly washes as well as grasslands and desert locations. Its companion plants are typically mesquite, saltbush and creosote. Higher locations will have this plant growing along with sagebrush and juniper. It flowers year-round, however, its most notable feature is the bulbous, inflated stem just below where the plant begins to branch. The outer part of the flowers is covered with coarse hair, while the stamen extends above the flower tube. Young stems are typically white, a reddish-brown as the plant ages, finally maturing to green. Desert trumpet is a desert to semi-desert plant and will not tolerate the humidity of the southeast. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry | Very Dry
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Multi-stemmed
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Rosulate
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Crenate
Leaf size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Its crinkled green leaves are spoon-shaped to oval with slightly scalloped margins and lie flat against the ground in a basal rosette
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Green; Red/Burgundy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
The tiny flowers are typically not noticeable unless a significant amount of annual rainfall will give way to thousands of these mini blooms. They are greenish to yellow with long exserted stamens.
Bloom time
Fall; Spring; Summer; Winter
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The fruit is in the form of a three sided achene.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver; Green; White
Stem detail
Plants can have one or more stems that are leafless and swollen just below its branches. Typically smooth, they may occasionally be hairy near the base.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
SW US, NW Mexico
Distribution
AZ, CA, CO, NM, NV, UT
Wildlife value
Butterflies are attracted to the flowers.
Attracts
Butterflies
Play value
Attracts Pollinators; Wildlife Larval Host
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Achene
Uses (ethnobotany)
Native Americans used the swollen stem as a pipe for tobacco.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Naturalized Area
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Drought Tolerant Garden; Pollinator Garden; Rock Garden
Garden tags
#herbaceous perennial #non-toxic for cats #non-toxic for horses #non-toxic for dogs #drought tolerant #butterfly garden #butterfly friendly #dry soils tolerant #perennial #rock garden #drought tolerant annual #desert plant