Being a secondary pioneer plant in vegetative communities such as chaparral, coastal scrub, and riparian, the Coyote Bush (Baccharis pilularis), otherwise known as Chaparral Broom or Bush Baccharis, is a shrubby plant that quickly colonizes disturbed sites. Normally the Coyote Bush-dominated transition from disturbed site to scrub to mature chaparral or forest takes about a half-century. Growth occurs mainly after March when temperatures begin to rise. Tap roots on mature plants can exceed 10.5 feet showing its adaptation to long dry summers.
The plant is a native dicot plant in the Asteraceae family, and is dioecious, which means that staminate (male) and pistillate (female) flowers occur on separate plants. Coyote Bush seed is dispersed from October to January, and normally requires a wind or gentle breeze to dislodge them from the plant and carry them great distances through the air as this photo shows.
Coyote Bush is a locally common plant at the UC Hopland Research & Extension Center.
