Native Plants for YLP: Upright Coyote Brush
​(Baccharis pilularis var. consanguinea)
by Patty Groos ("Poppy Patty")

#4 in our “5 for YLP” series, Upright Coyote Brush (Baccharis pilularis ssp. consanguinea) is another deerproof, drought-tolerant California native plant for your YLP garden.  Evergreen and simple to grow, it is a standout plant, working as a hedge or specimen, and providing habitat for butterflies, bees, and birds.
Upright Coyote Brush, Baccharis pilularis ssp. consanguinea
PictureYoung Coyote Brush in the fall

​Upright Coyote Brush is a lovely, tough evergreen shrub that blooms with subtle flowers in late fall.  It is blooming in YLP gardens right now!  Although it is fast growing with lovely light green new foliage, it is one of the only native evergreen shrubs that deer do not eat.  
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Travelling toward the coast to Pismo or Monterey, you will see stands of Upright Coyote Brush in the wild.  Its small waxy leaves protect it against heat, drought, and wind, and unlike many other California natives, it tolerates garden conditions: it thrives not only in drought, but also with supplemental water in hot weather. Properly maintained, it is fire resistant.  This workhorse plant prefers full or part sun here in the foothills, and will tolerate a variety of soils including alkaline, clay and sand.  It accepts pruning and though it can grow to 10’ high, we find that it tops out here at around 7’.

One member of our group has planted twelve of the upright form to fill out a hedgerow along her property line, and they are thriving with twice monthly watering during the summer.
Reduces Weeds and Increases Natives
A 37-year study in the Santa Monica Mountains has shown that when an area is populated with Coyote Brush, the exotic grasses slowly disappear, and are eventually replaced with native plants (Brennan et al, 2018).  It makes a good companion plant in our oak woodlands, and is very well-suited for our gardens in YLP.  As you increase cover of your property, you will see weeds diminish dramatically, and native plants will emerge from the seed bank.
Coyote Brush can be used to stabilize slopes and banks of seasonal streams.  It can be coppiced (cut within a few inches of the ground) when needing renewal, and grows back vigorously and reliably.
 PictureReaching for the sky and bees this past week in YLP


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Mixed Results with Dwarf Coyote Brush
The following selections are relatively low-growing groundcovers that you may find at nurseries, sometimes referred to as Dwarf Coyote Brush.  We caution you that here in YLP, our results have been mixed with these dwarf varieties.
  • Pigeon Point Coyote Brush (Baccharis pilularis ssp. pilularis “Pigeon Point”)
  • Twin Peaks & Twin Peaks #2 Coyote Brush (B. pilularis ssp. pilularis “Twin Peaks & Twin Peaks #2)
Watch video of native bees and others swarming  Coyote Brush!