How do you recognise Groundsel bush (Baccharis halimifolia)?

Leaf

Macleay Grass Man, Wikimedia · CC BY 2.0

Groundsel bush

Baccharis halimifolia L.

Also known as: Eastern baccharis, Tree groundsel, Sea myrtle

Family: Asteraceae

3 to 4 m tall

Coastal marshes, dunes and wasteland along the whole French Atlantic coast, from Le Croisic to the Basque Country

Flowering: July - September

Full sun

Hardy to -15°C

❓ How do you recognise this plant?

Its tufts of cottony seeds invade the Atlantic coast in autumn, to the point that planting it is now prohibited in France.

🍃 Leaves

Deciduous to semi-evergreen, ovate, grey-green, with toothed margins towards the tip

🌸 Flowers

Dioecious plant: small whitish flower heads on female plants, yellowish on male plants

🍎 Fruits

Achenes topped with a very abundant white silky pappus, forming spectacular cottony tufts in autumn

🪵 Bark

Brown-grey, upright bushy habit

🗺️ Distribution

Native to the east coast of the United States, widely naturalised along the whole French Atlantic coast since its introduction in the late 17th century

🐝 Value for pollinators

Nectar-rich late-summer flowers visited by many insects

✂️ Horticultural uses

Its sale, transport and planting are prohibited throughout France under the order of 14 February 2018, this invasive alien species being regulated at European level (EU Regulation 1143/2014).

⚠️ Possible toxicity

Toxic: contains cardiotoxic glycosides, dangerous to livestock (nervous and digestive disorders, possible mortality in cases of overgrazing) and to humans; also classed as an invasive alien species.

🌿 Other Asteraceae to discover

Curry plant

Helichrysum italicum

Cotton lavender

Santolina chamaecyparissus

ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.

🌱 This database is constantly evolving — species and information are added and corrected regularly. Spotted a mistake? Report it below.