Several more or less upright stems arise from the base and branch to give plants a rounded appearance. Rubber rabbitbrush exhibits a number of adaptations for surviving in an arid environment. Two separate series are recognized within Chrysothamnus nauseosus, a gray form and a green form. Rubber rabbitbrush establishes from seed and by sprouting.
Seeds germinate in winter or spring after snow melt.
A stratification period is not necessary for rubber rabbitbrush but may speed germination. Chrysothamnus nauseosus ssp. Collections from middle elevations exhibit asynchronous germination in the cold. Seed collections from high elevation populations may show dormancy at autumn temperatures and may germinate slowly under the snow or at near-freezing temperatures. After early May, mortality is mostly due to water stress.