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 in northern Florida and evergreen from the central peninsula south. Blooms in late summer and fall. Dioecious. Showy fruits on female plants in late fall. | |
| Noted for: | Showy fruits |
Landscaping
| Recommended Uses: | Specimen plant in casual settings. Also useful as a natural screen or buffer plant. Rain gardens or bioswales. The primary horticultural feature is the silvery, plume-like achenes which appear in the fall on female plants. The fruits can provide a white haze for several weeks in the fall. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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. Readily self seeds. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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: | Slightly acidic to calcareous | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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: | Fruiting late in the fall, the fruits during the fall add substantial interest to a casual garden. Baccharis glomerulifolia is similar in appearance and in potential cultural uses. |