Baccharis halimifolia, eastern baccharis
Van Deelen, Timothy R. 1991. Baccharis halimifolia, eastern baccharis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/bachal
| Abbreviation | Common Name | Scientific Name | Classification | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plants | ||||
| BACHAL | eastern baccharis | Baccharis halimifolia | Life Form: Plants/Shrub Kingdom: Plantae Class: Dicot Order: Asterales Family: Asteraceae Genus: Baccharis | Fed. Protected: No Nativity: Native Invasiveness: Noninvasive |
Eastern bugwood.
Taxonomy
The scientific name for eastern baccharis is Baccharis halimifolia L. (Asteraceae) [14,30].
Baccharis is a genus of over 400 dioecious plants native only to the western hemisphere; 21 are found in the United States [4].
Synonyms
- Baccharis halimifolia var. angustior D.C.
- Baccharis halimifolia var. halimifolia [14,30]
Other Common Names
groundsel-tree, groundsel-bush, silverling, sea myrtle, salt bush, buckbrush, consumption weed
General Distribution
Distribution of eastern baccharis in the United States and West Indies.
Eastern baccharis grows along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America from Texas to Massachusetts. It is most common on the southeastern Coastal Plain, growing as far inland as Arkansas and the central Piedmont Plateau. It grows in peninsular Florida, Mexico, and the West Indies as well [5,6,7,15].
States and Provinces
- United States: CT DE FL GA MD MA NJ NY NC RI SC TX
- Mexico
Site Characteristics
Detailed descriptions of eastern baccharis site requirements are lacking. General descriptions indicate that eastern baccharis grows in moist sites on soils with a high organic content including pond and bay margins, swamps, wet prairies, marshes, raised portions of salt marshes, and everglades hammocks [2,6,8,27]. It also grows on anthropogenic sites, such as fencerows and abandoned fields [5,15]. Descriptions of eastern baccharis as an early invader of interdune swales [2,6] suggest that organic content is less important than high moisture content for eastern baccharis establishment. Growth in salt marshes and brackish southeastern Louisiana swamps indicate a high salt tolerance [6,17,24].
Plant Communities
Detailed descriptions of eastern baccharis plant communities are lacking. When present, overstory associates include loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), longleaf pine (P. palustris), and slash pine (P. elliottii) [12]. Common understory associates include marsh elder (Iva frutescens), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), and rose mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) [23].
Botanical Description
Eastern baccharis.
Eastern baccharis is a much-branched, common shrub that seldom exceeds 16 feet (5 m) in height or 6 inches (16 cm) d.b.h. [5,6]. Its leaves are toothed, alternate, deciduous, and borne on green twigs [6]. Eastern baccharis leaves secrete a sticky resin, thought to deter herbivory by all but the most specialized insects [15].
The unisexual, yellow flowers are borne on heads surrounded by bracts. The fruit is a small achene tipped with straight bristles. Eastern baccharis is dioecious and display some sexual dimorphism, although positive sexual classification of the plant requires flower examination. Male plants generally have longer shoots, more tender leaves, grow faster, and flower and senesce earlier than female plants [15].
Raunkiaer Life Form (Raunkiaer 1934)
- Phanerophyte
Seasonal Development
Eastern baccharis flowers from August to October, and their fruit ripen from October to November [3,6,24]. A population near Gainesville, Florida, had the following phenological sequence [22]:
| Phenological event | Timing |
|---|---|
| Flower bud appearance | late Sept. - Oct. |
| Flowers bloom | late Oct. - early Nov. |
| Fruit ripens | mid Nov. |
| Leaves drop | mid Dec. - late Feb. |
| Dormancy | late Nov. - Jan. |
Regeneration Processes
Seedling establishment is the primary method of eastern baccharis regeneration. Its flowers are wind pollinate, and its seeds are wind dispersed [15,22]. DeLoach and others [4] reported that eastern baccharis will resprout if clipped above the ground, although descriptions of vegetative reproduction are lacking. Seedlings require 2 years of growth after germination before reproduction can occur [21].
Successional Status
Eastern baccharis is an early successional, woody invader of disturbed lowlands throughout its range [27]. It replaces sawgrass (Cladium spp.), freshwater marsh, and marl, wet prairie communities following drainage in southern Florida [27,29]. It is characteristic of cut-over and partially drained, deep-water swamps in southeastern Louisiana [23]. Overgrazing and drainage favor eastern baccharis invasion and convert salt marshes into shrublands [9].
Despite its early-seral nature, eastern baccharis is shade tolerant. It persists under a pine canopy and may reach carrying capacity in as little as 4 years. Self-thinning, graminoid competition, and heavy litter reduce seedling establishment and maintain a stable stem density. Disturbance and the creation of overstory gaps stimulate seed production. Shade tolerance allows eastern baccharis to maintain a pool of seedlings in the understory until disturbance provides an opportunity for release and continued regeneration [19].
Immediate Fire Effects
Most fires probably kill eastern baccharis.
Postfire Regeneration Strategy (Stickney 1989)
- Initial-offsite colonizer (off-site, initial community)
Fire Adaptations
Eastern baccharis is intolerant of fire and tends to occupy only unburned sites [11,12]. Postfire colonization depends on proximity of a seed source and wind dispersal.
Plant Response to Fire
No information was available on eastern baccharis's response to fire at the time this review was written. The Research Paper by Grace and others provides information on prescribed fire and postfire response of eastern baccharis and that was not available when this review was written.
Fire Regimes
For fire regime information, search FEIS for this species by entering the species name on the Advanced Search page and selecting “Fire Regime” as the publication type.
Fire Management Considerations
To predict the contribution of eastern baccharis to fuel load, refer to Reeves and Lenhart [25] for equations relating basal stem diameter to dry weight.
Federal Status
None
Other Status
No entry.
Importance to Wildlife and Livestock
Grelen [12] lists eastern baccharis as a "desirable" browse species for white-tailed deer, although it probably has little or no value for other wildlife species and may be toxic to some [4]. Laboratory tests on mice and chicks indicate that ingestion of more than 2 percent of an animal's body weight in eastern baccharis foliage may be toxic. Visible symptoms of eastern baccharis poisoning range from mild depression followed by recovery to extreme listlessness and stupor followed by death. The toxic compound in groundsel-bush attacks the hepatic and circulatory systems [7].
Palatability and Nutritional Value
Eastern baccharis is unpalatable to cattle and often displaces more palatable forage [4].
Cover Value
Eastern baccharis provides emergency cover for muskrats when storm tides sweep through southern Louisiana salt marshes [18].
Value for Rehabilitation or Restoration of Disturbed Sites
Eastern baccharis's tolerance of salt spray [20] and rapid colonization of disturbed sites [21] may make it useful for disturbed site rehabilitation in some situations. More often, it is considered a weed. One eastern-Texas native-prairie restoration project reported that the presence of invading eastern baccharis reduced forb diversity [13].
Other Uses
Hardiness, freedom from disease, and attractive fall foliage make eastern baccharis an attractive ornamental. It may aggravate hay fever symptoms for some people [4].
Other Management Considerations
Baccharis species are problem weeds of rangelands, pastures, parks, recreational areas, and floodplains. Mowing and broadleaf herbicide treatments at 1- to 3-year intervals may provide control, although such control methods are often not cost-effective. Phytophagous Brazilian insects have been successfully used to control introduced Baccharis species in Australia. Similar techniques show promise for use in the United States [4].
Table A1— Forest and range ecosystems, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) physiographic regions, Kuchler plant associations, Society for American Foresters (SAF) forest cover types, and Society for Rangeland Management (SRM) rangeland cover types in which this species occurs.
Forest and Range Ecosystems (Garrison et al. 1977)
- FRES12 Longleaf - slash pine
- FRES13 Loblolly - shortleaf pine
- FRES14 Oak – pine
- FRES16 Oak - gum – cypress
- FRES41 Wet grasslands
BLM Physiographic Regions (Bernard and Brown 1977)
- No entry
Kuchler Plant Associations (Kuchler 1964)
- K078 Southern cordgrass prairie
- K080 Marl – everglades
- K090 Live oak - sea oats
- K091 Cypress savanna
- K092 Everglades
- K105 Mangrove
- K112 Southern mixed forest
- K113 Southern floodplain forest
- K114 Pocosin
- K116 Subtropical pine forest
SAF Cover Types (Eyre 1980)
- 71 Longleaf pine
- 81 Loblolly pine
- 82 Loblolly pine – hardwood
- 85 Slash pine – hardwood
- 89 Live oak
- 98 Pond pine
- 101 Baldcypress
SRM Rangeland Cover Types (Shiflet 1994)
- No entry
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