Groundsel Tree

 

 

 

 

Groundsel tree (not to be confused with the herb groundsel)is a woody shrub of the sunflower family that grows up to 6-8 feet tall. It is that white blooming shrub that you see blooming in the late fall and early winter in waste places and cut over areas. I first saw this shrub growing along Interstae 85 on our frequent drives to South Alabama. I guessed all kinds of different plants till I got a close look at it and knew I never had known it before. Interestingly enough, groundsel has moved inland from coastal areas through recent years.
It is no good for forage for game animals and it is toxic to livestock. It is sometimes seen in over grazed pastures, where it is the only thing left untouched. Groundsel tree does provide cover and nesting sites for birds, and insects that visit the male flowers attract songbirds.
Groundsel trees begin to produce prodigious amounts of viable seed when they are only 3 years old and the seed is scattered by the wind. The plants are dioecious, meaning that there are both male and female trees, and both are required for seed to set. However from the speed of their spread, that is not usually a problem.In addition to the competitive seed tricks already mentioned, groundsel tree can set seed in shade, does well in all kinds of soil and tolerates salinity.It survives in wet or dry soil and resprouts after fire. The fact is, it is a wonder anything on earth grows except groundsel. It is a problem in Australia where it was used in earlier days as a horticultural shrub and escaped.
The first groundsel I saw at my place was in a red clay area beside the road. I cut it down and painted the stump with round-up. Around the same time I began to see it in the clear cut area across the road from my house. I believe the seed may have arrived there on the harvesting equipment, just as I suspect that may have been the source of the climbing fern that I have talked about before. I think harvesting and planting equipment should be thoroughly washed before a new site is entered. The USDA requires used farm equipment imported to this country to be washed at the port before it is allowed in. this is to control anthrax and other diseases. I hope one day forestry practices will start to do the same when they change sites and I hope it will not be too late. Once a plant has established and started to reproduce, it can hardly ever be eradicated.
Even though groundsel tree is a native species, it can still become a noxious weed. I confess that I have cut the flowers for arrangements when most other plants have given up the ghost. They are pretty. But that only shows that there are redeeming virtues everywhere.

Baccharis halimifolia or Groundsel tree

This picture is of groundsel tree (or bush). It is a shrub that may become as tall as 15 feet and blooms this time of year. I typically see it when driving past waste places or cut over woods. It blooms this time of year and is a real standout as not many other trees bloom in November and December. It is a dioecious plant, which means that male and female flowers usually appear on different plants instead of having both structures in one flower. They produce zillions of seed as you can imagine from this plant in flower. The seed have filaments that cause it to be buoyant and they float around like dandelion fluff, hence their wide distribution. They take 2 years to reach flowering size, but I recommend enjoying them from some other vantage point than your own yard, unless you want to grow nothing else. They are said to be good deer browse, but to me that seems doubtful as the leaves are poisonous to cattle.
I have made flower arrangements using groundsel and thought it was very striking. It lasted several days.