Baccharis pilularis
or Coyote Bush is a California native shrub growing in California up
into Oregon. A beautiful and carefree evergreen native it is an
excellent shrub for urban landscapes as well as for restoration and
erosion control projects. Coyote Bush provides pollen and nectar for
predatory wasps, native butterflies and flies which depend on this
supply of food to survive winter hibernation.
Pictured here is the erect form of Baccharis
pilularis. This particular plant was a volunteer to our garden last
year. Look at the size of it (almost 5’) in one year! It does receive
Summer water from our drip system though it is set on a weekly ½ hour
schedule without a direct emitter.
Baccharis
pilularis will grow prostrate in coastal windswept areas and erect in
inland regions (the latter is shown here) but both being the same
species of B. pilularis. It is moderately fire tolerant and also a deer
a resistant shrub.
Coyote
Bush is dioecious meaning that the flowers are born on two different
plants. The male flowers on one and the female flowers on a separate
plant altogether. The flowers pictured here are female; note the
elongated flower which will in a few days ‘go to seed’ and be dispersed
by the wind.
Coyote
Bush commonly supports galls created by the host- specific midge
Rhopalomyia californica (the midge requires Baccharis pilularis for its
life cycle success). A gall is formed by plant cells which grow around a
wound, generally from a puncture for depositing eggs by a parasitic
insect.
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