Greasewood is an erect, spiny, woody perennial shrub that grows 1 to 1.5 meters tall. Flowers are small and light green to whitish. It has many thorns with thick, narrow, green leaves on rigid branches. Its bark is smooth and white.

Greasewood is a range shrub that livestock can generally eat safely in moderate amounts with other forage. It is moderately palatable. Death occurs when livestock eat large amounts in a short period of time.   Losses generally occur in the fall and winter when sheep or cattle eat large quantities of leaves that have fallen to the ground or from the early growth in spring. The plant toxins, sodium and potassium oxalates, are found in the leaves with lower concentrations in other plant parts. The amount of toxin varies considerably in the different areas where it grows (from 10-22% of plant dry weight). Greasewood increases in toxicity as the growing season advances.

Where and When It Grows
Greasewood is adapted to the heavy saline soils of semiarid regions. It is confined to alkaline soils and may form the dominant vegetation on alkaline flats. It starts growing in early spring. The leaves remain succulent until fall, when they freeze, dry, and drop off. Buds remain on plants most of the year.

How It Affects Livestock
Signs of poisoning may develop 4 to 6 hours after an animal eats a toxic amount of greasewood. Greasewood poisoning in livestock is similar to that caused by halogeton resulting in hypocalcemia, renal necrosis and subsequent uremia.  About 1 gm oxalate/kg body weight is lethal in sheep. This would be about 0.5 kg of green leaves and fine stems for a sheep or 1.5- 2.0 kg for a cow. To be lethal the plant must be consumed quickly without other diluting forages.  Animals can become conditioned to oxalate ingestion by feeding oxalates at low doses for several days.  In such animals the lethal doses are from 30-50% higher than non-conditioned animals.

Signs and Lesions of Poisoning