Groundsel Tree
(Saltbush)
Baccharis halimifolia
Plant Family: Compositae (Asteraceae)
Leaves: Alternate, simple, thick, wedge-shaped, with a few coarse teeth towards the apex, to 8 cm, the terminal leaves may be smaller and lack teeth.
Bark: Gray, fissured on older trees; the twigs are green and distinctly ridged.
Flowers: Dioecious, small, male flowers yellowish, female flowers greenish-white; appearing late summer to fall.
Fruits: The seeds are borne in showy, cottony tufts on the female plants from fall into winter.
Habitat: Typically found in wet coastal areas in various soil types, its range extends inland on disturbed sites and along roads.
Growth Form: Shrub to small tree.
Key Features: The rather unique leaf shape and the ridged twigs should be enough to identify this common species.
Comments: The Composite Family is a very successful group of plants, comprising thousands of species; most (such as the asters and daisies) are herbaceous. Groundsel Tree is one of the few plants in this family that has woody stems. This hardy and salt-tolerant tree ranges west to Texas and north along the coastal plain to Massachusetts.
