MEXICO. Chaparral (Larrea tridentata) Leaf, Organic Common names: Creosote Bush, Greasewood, Gobernadora, Hediondilla Family: Zygophyllaceae Chaparral is an evergreen shrub, growing from 3 to 10 or more feet tall, in desert areas of the Southwest US, as far east as Texas, and deep into Mexico. The "King Clone" ring, a colony of Chaparral bushes in the central Mojave Desert in Southeast California, is estimated to be nearly 12,000 years old—one of the oldest living organisms on the planet. The plants exude a powerful creosote-like scent. Native Americans used it for many conditions, including wounds and skin infections, pain, sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, chicken pox, menstrual or intestinal cramps, snakebite, diabetes, and cancer.