Baccharis sarothroides

Baccharis sarothroides is a species of flowering shrub known by the common names broom baccharis and desert broom. It grows up to 12 feet tall and up to 6 feet wide. The leaves are small and thick, and tends to stay bright green through the year in the foothills and areas with around 15″ of rainfall per year. The plant goes summer deciduous and loses its leaves in the drier desert regions. It flowers abundantly in the summer, often completely covered with white or cream covered puffy flowers. This plant is native to northern Mexico and the southwestern United States, growing in coastal sage scrub and inland scrub plant communities, usually in dry canyons and plains below 1000 feet. In California it is limited to the southern part of the state. It is a useful plant for a screen, slope stabilization or filling in large empty areas. The voluminous seeds may be considered a nuisance.