Baccharis salicina

Common Names

Willow Baccharis, Emory's Baccharis, Great Plains False Willow

Summary

Willow baccharis is a native North American shrub 1–3 m tall with glabrous, broom-like branching; leaves are narrow, gland-dotted, 1–9 cm long and up to 2 cm wide, with distal half bearing 1–4 irregular teeth; inflorescences consist of numerous heads in loose paniculiform arrays with campanulate to narrowly obconic involucres, cypselae 1.2–2 mm with 8–10 ribs, and pappi 8–12 mm; flowers May–Nov, growing along stream banks and moist soils at elevations of 300–1,600 m, distributed from California and Nevada east to Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, south to northern Mexico.

For cultivation, it tolerates full sun to partial shade and moist, well-drained soils, with plants spaced 3–5 ft apart; propagation can be by seeds or cuttings, and care includes deep watering after planting, fertilizing in early spring, mulching, and pruning in late winter/early spring to shape. It provides soil stabilization and erosion control, wildlife habitat and pollinator support, and is suitable for habitat gardens and landscape plantings, with hardiness to 25°F.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

3 ft 3 in – 9 ft 10 in

Spread

4-8 ft

Hardiness Zones

Zones 7B-10A

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun to partial shade.

Soil Type

Moist, well-drained soil

Soil Drainage

Moist, well-drained soils.

Soil pH

Alkaline soils (pH > 7)

Bloom Color

White to pale yellow

Bloom Time

Spring, Summer, Fall

Foliage Color

Green, pale green, silvery

Fall Foliage Color

Green, silvery

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

1-2 feet per year

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall

Propagation Methods

Seeds and Cuttings

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts birds