Baccharis pilularis

DESCRIPTION OF BACCHARIS PILULARIS

Baccharis pilularis is also known as Coyote Brush (Coyote Brush) or Chaparral Broom, after the evergreen shrubby vegetation typical of California. Although it is rare to find in nature outside of California's canyons and coasts, Baccharis pilularis can blend perfectly into a Mediterranean garden or a rock garden.

In summer and well into autumn, it produces inconspicuous flowers. It is a dioecious plant: male and female flowers grow on different bushes and also have a different color. Male flowers are yellow and produce a delicately scented pollen, while female flowers are white. Male-flowering bushes tend to be the most used in landscaping.

Baccharis pilularis blooms tend to attract bees, butterflies, and other small insects, while the bush offers a safe refuge for small birds. Given its late and prolonged blooming, Baccharis pilularis is a valuable source of nectar for pollinating insects during autumn. As you may have guessed, this plant can be a real boon for the biodiversity in your garden!

In the United States, Baccharis pilularis is highly appreciated for creating defensive hedges, given its resistance to deer browsing.

THE GREAT RESISTANCE OF BACCHARIS PILULARIS

Baccharis pilularis is a living manifesto of the peculiar intelligence of plants, which in this case translates into truly extraordinary survival mechanisms.

HABIT

One of the peculiarities of Baccharis pilularis is that it takes on a different shape depending on where it grows. If exposed to strong coastal winds, it tends to remain very low to protect itself, “flattening” itself to cover the sandy dunes; instead, it grows much taller and maintains an upright habit if placed in sheltered locations, such as inside California's canyons in nature.

LEAVES

Baccharis pilularis leaves are small and oval, numerous, and very close together. They are coated with a waxy substance capable of reducing transpiration and retaining moisture, which helps make this bush highly drought-resistant.

The waxy consistency of the leaves has another very important advantage: their chemical composition makes them particularly resistant to fire, protecting the plant from the forest fires frequent in chaparral areas.

One last curiosity: on hot summer days, Baccharis pilularis leaves exude a resinous oil with an intense scent. This substance has a terrible taste, which protects the plant from the appetite of any animals.

ROOTS

The root system of Baccharis pilularis is another of the secrets of its extraordinary resistance. The bush develops particularly dense and thick roots, capable of extending far around the base of the plant: in this way, Baccharis ensures that it maximizes the absorption of rainwater over a large area of soil.

This robust and important root system allows the plant to survive and regenerate quickly in case of extreme events, such as the previously mentioned California fires. For this reason, Baccharis pilularis is considered a pioneer species: by managing to establish itself first on land damaged by extreme events, it prepares the soil and makes it more suitable for the subsequent growth of other less resistant plants.

In California, Baccharis pilularis is often used in natural habitat restoration projects: its important root system is indeed ideal for stabilizing sandy dunes, keeping the soil compact and limiting erosion.

GROWING AND MAINTAINING COYOTE BRUSH

Baccharis pilularis is an easy-going plant, capable of performing well in almost any situation. It has no particular demands regarding the type of soil: it can do well on sandy, clayey, acidic, alkaline, or very poor soils. However, like most plants suitable for creating a Mediterranean garden, it performs best in well-drained soils with very sunny exposures. Baccharis pilularis can do equally well with a few hours of shade, but it will not grow in a zone of total shade.

The ideal time for planting is between late spring and early summer. When planting the plant, it is necessary to remember that the above-ground growth of Baccharis pilularis is far lower than its root growth. Therefore, take into account the space that the roots will occupy and try to space it sufficiently from other plants.

Baccharis pilularis is very drought-resistant and will not need special irrigation, except in extreme cases. As for maintenance, an annual pruning between late winter and early spring will be sufficient: it will allow the bush to grow more densely and compactly.