Description

Groundsel Bush (Baccharis halimifolia) is a large shrub that grows naturally in salt marshes, sandy locations, and near roads and fields. This shrub tolerates a variety of conditions: poor, shallow, rocky, or clay soil; dry or wet soil; brackish water or salt-spray. The leaves have an attractive silvery tone, and Groundsel Bush is semi-evergreen in some parts of its range. Small, white, tubular flowers bloom in clusters from August to October, providing a late-season nectar source for native pollinators. After pollination, female plants produce seeds with white hairs which give the shrub a “fluffy” look. Birds feed on the seeds, and dense branching provides nesting habitat and cover for birds and other animals. Groundsel Bush is good for erosion control and can also be planted along pond edges, retention basins, rain gardens, or other open, wet sites. It can also be pruned as a hedge or trained into a single-trunked form.