Broom Baccharis

Broom Baccharis is a native desert shrub of the Sonoran, Mojave, and Chihuahuan desert regions of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Nearly leafless for much of the year, it relies on sticky, resinous green stems for photosynthesis — a water-conserving adaptation that keeps the plant active year-round. Bundled stems have traditionally served as brooms, which accounts for both the English common name and the Spanish "escoba amarga" (bitter broom).

This is a dioecious shrub; male and female plants are separate. Female plants produce dense cottony white seed masses in fall and winter that attract seed-eating birds and provide nesting material. It establishes readily from container stock planted in fall or early spring, tolerates alkaline, rocky, and sandy soils typical of desert washes and disturbed slopes, and requires no supplemental irrigation once established. Plants self-seed freely and can colonize disturbed ground quickly, making them effective for erosion control and habitat restoration. A neutral to alkaline soil pH and excellent drainage are essential; standing water causes rapid root decline.

Ethnobotanical records from Seri and Tohono O'odham peoples document topical use of Baccharis sarothroides for wound treatment and as a fever remedy. Phytochemical studies have identified flavonoids and diterpenes in the plant with documented anti-inflammatory activity.