Baccharis halimifolia
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Groundsel Tree, Sea Myrtle, Salt Bush
Asteraceae (Compositae)
Plant Specifics
| Form: | Shrub | |
| Size: | 7-15 ft tall by 5-7 ft wide | |
| Life Span: | Long-lived perennial | |
| Flower Color: | White,yellow | |
| Fruit Color: | White | |
| Phenology: | Deciduous,evergreen | |
| Noted for: | Showy fruits |
Landscaping
| Recommended Uses: | Specimen plant in casual settings. Also useful as a natural screen or buffer plant. The fruits can provide a white haze for several weeks in the fall. The primary horticultural feature is the silvery, plume-like achenes which appear in the fall on female plants. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Considerations: | Weak wood. Seed is wind disbursed and may become weedy. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Propagation: | Seed. Salt bush is dioecious, that is, both a male and female plant are necessary for seed production - the photos at left show both the male (cream to yellow) and female (cream) flowers. The female flowers rapidly mature into bright, white tufted fruits making the plant showy for several weeks. This plant readily self seeds...in Texas, it is a range pest. In eastern Canada, it is a very rare (listed) species. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Availability: | Friends, Native nurseries, Seed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Light: | Full Sun | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: |
always floodedextremely dry |
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| (Usually moist, occasional inundation ----- to ----- Not wet but not extremely dry) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: | Usually moist, occasional inundation ----- to ----- Not wet but not extremely dry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Water Flooding Tolerance: | Tolerant of inundation with brackish water | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Spray/ Salty Soil Tolerance: | Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soil or other substrate: | Loam, Sand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soil pH: | 5.5 - 7.8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ecology
| Wildlife: |
Seeds are wind dispersed but also eaten by small birds and other wildlife. | |
| Insects: | Although primary wind pollinated,, it attracts bees including Colletes mandibularis, C. simulans, C. thysanellae, Agapostemon splendens, Augochlorella aurata, Augochloropsis metallica, Dialictus miniatulus, D. nymphalis, Halictus ligatus, Sphecodes heraclei, Apis mellifera (honeybee) (Deyrup et al. 2002). Also said to attract butterflies. | |
| Native Habitats: | Coastal uplands and disturbed moist inland area. |
Distribution and Planting Zones
Natural Range in Florida
USDA Zones
Suitable to grow in:
10A 10B 11 8A 8B 9A 9B
USDA zones are based on minimum winter temperatures
Comments
| General Comments: | This species is under-used as the fruits during the fall add substantial interest to a casual garden. One of the few true shrubs in the aster family. Dioecious, with male and female flowers on different plants. |