Dwarf Coyote Brush

Scientific Name: 

Baccharis pilularis

Variety: 

“Pigeon Point” 

Physical Appearance: 

• Shurb 

• Dark, evergreen colored foliage (fancy term for leaves) 

• Flowers are a pure white with exposed yellow anthers and styles

  • Different varieties may have yellow or cream colored flowers 

When Does It Grow: 

• Pretty much year round, but it won’t really bloom until fall season

Preferred Environment: 

• Bluffs, hills, and expansive areas of woodlands (ah ha!) 

Medicinal Uses: 

• Reports of Chumash Indians using the leaves being able to treat poison oak rashes 

Role in the Ecosystem: 

• It’s kind of a party on dwarf coyote bush as it attracts a ton of different wildlife (for better or worse) 

• Attracts a lot of butterflies, flies, birds, wasps, bees, and even some funky beetles

  • While the butterflies can help with pollination, the wasps tend to be predators to the plant and aren’t ideal 

Method of Reproduction: 

• Well, with all the visitors on dwarf coyote bush, it is easily pollinated and does not have to worry much about seed dispersion 

Random: 

• The specific variety we have on campus (Pigeon Point) is super common in landscaping as it acts as a ground cover

• Generally also used for erosion control, the plant has deep roots and can latch on to sloped terrain nicely 

• Moderate fire tolerance