Herb: Bush Groundsel


Latin name: Baccharis halimifolia


Family: Compositae



Medicinal use of Bush Groundsel:

The plant is used as a palliative and demulcent in consumption and cough.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
3.5 m
(11 feet)

Flowering:
October

Habitat of the herb:

Open woods, thickets and borders of marshes near the coast, often in saline soils.

Other uses of Bush Groundsel:

A good fast-growing hedge for exposed maritime conditions. It retains its leaves into the new year but is rather bare in late winter. Plants have an extensive root system and can be grown on sand or thin coastal soils in order to bind the soil. Resinous secretions on the leaves and wood make this a useful fuel. It is a fairly small plant though and would not be a very productive source.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - no pre-treatment is required. Surface sow in pots a cold frame in the spring, do not let the compost dry out. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 2 weeks. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the cold frame for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Very easy. Cuttings of mature wood of the current seasons growth, November in a frame. Easy.

Cultivation of Bush Groundsel:

Open woods, thickets and borders of marshes near the coast, often in saline soils.

Known hazards of Baccharis halimifolia:

The plant is potentially toxic to livestck.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.