Baccharis pilularis consanguinea

Identification

Gallery

Description

Deer proof throughout Ca. (so-far). You might want to cover it for the first year. Drought tolerant, very usefull for hedges or fence lines, much underused. Water 1/week until est. then 1/month or so during the first summer. Very fast! It can mature in one-two year. Another mini-wildlife plant! Secondary pioneer plant in communities such as coastal sage scrub and chaparral. When the native vegetation is removed from an area by bulldozer, or tilling, or grazing and trampling animals, one of the first natives that returns to the site, is Mr. Or Mrs. Coyote Brush, Baccharis pilularis . The problem for we horticulturists/biologists is that only male plants are utilized in the landscaping trade for Baccharis pilularis subsp. pilularis. If Baccharis pilularis subsp. pilularis, any named horticultural variety, are substituted for B. pilularis subsp. consanguinea in ecological restoration, there will not be as much seed set and recruitment of new individuals. A 3-6' perennial with green-brown stems and green leaves. Baccharis species are the nectary sources for most of the predatory wasps, native skippers(small butterflies) and native flies. You will see the weirdest bugs on these plants. From green beetles to 1 inch long flies with short wings and no middle to their body, these plants 'sing'. I highly recommend these plants next to a backyard sitting area(they do not look good enough in the foreground) to attract wildlife'. Moreover, Bambi doesn't eat them!! They're great startups for bad sites.