Coyote Bush is a dependable backbone of your garden. Coyote Bush including the natural selections and hybrids serve as a reliable, very low water, year-round green color in the garden. Then in the fall, the female plants produce small flowers which cover the bush in cream-colored fluffy flowers which are a welcome nectar source for small butterflies.
Chose the Coyote Bush which meets your garden needs from reliable ground covers up to small tree size.
TALL TYPES
Coyote Bush Baccharis pilularis 5-9 feet tall
Chablis Chaparral Broom 4-6 feet tall
Consanguinea 3.5-7 feet tall
MEDIUM HEIGHT TYPES
Centennial Desert Broom 2-3 feet tall
Thompson Desert Broom 3-4 feet tall
Pigeon Point, Twin Peaks #2, Pozo Surf, San Bruno, San Bruno Lady, Santa Anna
Coyote Brush is extremely easy to grow in landscape applications and needs minimal plant care. It tolerates summer water up to weekly but naturalizes easily also. It is said to be fire-resistant. Coyote Bush is found in a variety of habitats, from coastal bluffs to oak woodlands. Our experience with Coyote Bush is that it can grow in full sun but is lusher-looking in light to medium shade in the Central Valley.
Coyote Bush is an important nectar source for pollinators including small butterflies in the fall when few flowers are available. Coyote Bush varieties vary in leaf color, height, and texture. Calscape.org is an excellent resource for gardening information when considering California native plants. Pictures and specific information on each type of Coyote Bush can be found by searching for Baccharis all and then opening any species you are considering. Tuleriverparkwayassociation.org provides information about this plant and many others which are growing in the Tule River Native Plant Demonstration Gardens in Porterville. The upright varieties are useful for hedges and fence lines. The medium-height varieties make it tough as nails bushes even in high-traffic areas and the groundcover types spread to fully cover an area with low water use, pollinator support, plants in a variety of shades of green.
Coyote Bush is usually deer-resistant; after they mature, they only need water once a month. They can be trimmed to be kept at any height, but it is wise to choose the type which fits your height needs instead of repeated pruning. They prefer good drainage and can be used for erosion control on slopes. Only the male plants are cultivated for landscaping use. This limits any potential seed production. At the Tule River Native Plant Gardens, we have a few female plants which are shown in the pictures.
More information on this plant can be found at calscape.org by searching for the plant by name.
The following are just five of the plants which you can see blooming this month in a quarter mile walk along the Tule River Parkway between Jaye Street and Parkway Drive. Enter the garden trailhead from Jaye Street when traveling south over the Tule River bridge. The parking lot entrance is at the south end of the bridge across the street from the Harbor Freight parking lot.
1. Coyote Bush (Baccharis pilularis)
2. Desert Marigold (Baileya multiradiata)
3. Woolley Blue Curls (Trichostema lanatum)
4. Hummingbird Sage (Salvia spathacea)
5. California Fuchsia (Epilobium sp.)
Many California native plants are available at Quercus Landscape Design in Springville https://quercuslandscapedesign.com/availability, Dry Creek Nursery 35220 Dry Creek Dr, Woodlake, CA 93286 Call: 559-738-0211x115, Luis’ Nursery 139 S Mariposa Ave, Visalia, and Alta Vista Nursery in Three Rivers which is open by appointment 559-799-7438.
Each of the Native Plant Demonstration Gardens is featured on the website tuleriverparkwayassociation.org
The Tule River Parkway is a City of Porterville public park which provides a three-mile paved walking and bicycle path. The gardens were planted and maintained by volunteers with project management by the Tule River Parkway Association. We have volunteer garden days each month. We welcome you to come out and volunteer on December 9, 10, 15, 17 28, in the morning. Guided tours are available by appointment. Contact Cathy Capone if you are interested in scheduling a volunteer service day for a group. Volunteers will add over a hundred new plants to the gardens and restoration areas this season. Follow Tule River Parkway Association on Facebook or our website for announcements. Volunteers are welcome to join us to care for the gardens. Cathy Capone the volunteer project manager can be reached at 559-361-9164.
Submitted 11-23-2022 by Cathy Capone.
Photos by Cathy Capone
Tule River Parkway Association – President
Alta Peak Chapter of CNPS
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