# Baccharis

Baccharis is a fun shrub that grows in many places! It has fluffy white flowers that look like little cotton balls and can be found in fields and along roadsides.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands

![Baccharis](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Baccharis_articulata_1.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Baccharis_articulata_1.jpg)

## Appearance

The Baccharis is typically a bushy shrub with dense green to grayish-green foliage, often having small, leathery leaves. Its late-season blooms appear as fluffy white or yellowish clusters, followed by distinctive cottony seed heads that can make the plant look like it's covered in snow.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Asterales
- **Family:** Asteraceae
- **Genus:** Baccharis

## Interesting facts

- Baccharis seeds fly like tiny parachutes!
- It's a fantastic snack for many hungry caterpillars!
- Some Baccharis plants are either all boy or all girl!
- You can find Baccharis growing near ocean beaches!

## Special abilities

- **Wind Spreader:** Baccharis has fluffy, parachute-like seeds that are carried by the wind, helping it colonize new areas quickly.
- **Tough Terrain Tamer:** Baccharis can grow in poor, disturbed soils and tolerate drought, making it a powerful pioneer plant.
- **Salt Survivor:** Some Baccharis species have special glands that excrete excess salt, allowing them to thrive in coastal habitats.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 50-400 cm
- **Spread:** 50-300 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.1-0.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late Summer to Fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Wind

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Gathers nectar from late-season flowers.
- **Eats:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Browses on the leaves and young stems.
- **Shelter:** [Song Sparrow](https://www.snappit.app/explore/song-sparrow) (*Melospiza melodia*) — Builds nests and hides in the dense shrubs.
- **Pollinates:** [Monarch Butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — Feeds on nectar during its fall migration.

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground.
- [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
- [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch wild plants unless you have an adult with you.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Baccharis?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Baccharis?

50-400 cm

### How wide does Baccharis spread?

50-300 cm

### How big are the flowers on Baccharis?

0.1-0.5 cm

### When does Baccharis bloom?

Late Summer to Fall

### Is Baccharis edible?

No

### Is Baccharis toxic?

Mild

### What is Baccharis's lifecycle?

Perennial

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Baccharis: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/baccharis)