The currently accepted scientific name for fendlerbush is Fendlera rupicola Gray. Tesky, Julie L. 1993. Fendlerbush is found from the Sabinal River to the Pecos River in scattered locations in Texas. It is common in the higher mountains of the Trans-Pecos region.
Fendlerbush palatability is high for goats in New Mexico.
Fendlerbush is grown as an ornamental. Facultative Seral Species Fendlerbush occurs in nearly all stages of succession. In Mesa Verde National Park, fendlerbush maximum cover and frequency was not reached until 80 years after a fire in a pinyon-juniper community. Little information is available regarding fendlerbush fire ecology and adaptations. Pinyon-juniper communities where fendlerbush is commonly found historically burned every 10 to 30 years, which favored dominance by grasses.