Baccharis salicina

Baccharis emoryi is a species in the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family known by the common name Emory’s Baccharis. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it grows in sandy, moist habitat such as riverbanks or alkali marsh, but also occasionally in more xeric areas. In California it is found in the southern half of the state. This is a shrub producing erect, branching stems approaching three meters in maximum height. The thick leaves are oblong to oval in shape and sometimes have roughly toothed edges. They may be up to 7 centimeters long. The shrub is dioecious, with male and female plants producing flower heads of different types. The head is enclosed in a layer of phyllaries and the female flowers yield fruits, each an achene with a white pappus about a centimeter long. The foliage and flower heads are hairy and sticky. This species is very similar to its relatives, Baccharis pilularis and Baccharis salicifolia. It’s a good choice for a bioswale, edge of a pond, alkaline soil patches, or where rapid growth is desired and its tendency to spread can be accommodated.