Xeriscape Landscaping Plants For The Arizona Desert Environment
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Trailing Desert Broom, Baccharis 'Thompson' ('Starn')

Trailing Desert Broom, Baccharis 'Thompson' ('Starn')

Trailing Desert Broom Baccharis 'Thompson' ('Starn')	Trailing Desert Broom Baccharis 'Thompson' ('Starn')

Trailing Desert Broom Baccharis 'Thompson' ('Starn'), Aster or Sunflower Family ( Asteracae); also known as the Composite Family: ( Compositae ), Trailing Desert Broom: Also called; . The NATIVE species of Desert broom is a vertical, evergreen, densely-branched shrub usually 3 to 6 feet tall. Its many fine twigs are green; the tiny, linear leaves are deciduous during dry periods. The plants are dioecious (that is, each individual plant bears only “male”or “female” flowers) and blooms in the fall. The wind- dispersed, white-tasseled seeds are produced by the female plants in such abundance that the plants and nearby ground appear to be snow-covered. THE LITTER OF SUCH FLOWERING MAKES THE PLANT UNDESIRABLE AS A LANDSCAPING PLANT. BUT, WE ARE IN LUCK! HYBRIDS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED. One of the first to be introduced for use in low-desert landscapes is Baccharis 'Centennial'. It is a hybrid between B. pilularis and the desert species, B. sarothroides (desert broom). Although Baccharis 'Centennial' is a commonly planted hybrid cultivar. Since it is a female cultivar, it produces a lot of cotton looking seed clusters that are messy. The similar 'Starn' cultivar is a male which does not produce the numerous flowers and seeds making it a better choice. Therefore; the most desirable hybrid on today's market is known as Baccharis 'Thompson' ('Starn'). It is an evergreen shrub which reaches a size of about 4 feet tall to 6 feet wide in about ten years of growth. It has the prostrate growth habit a tolerance of dry heat and drought. It provides greener foliage than most other desert plants and it works well in transition plantings on golf courses, medians, and along roadsides. Baccharis 'Thompson' ('Starn') should be pruned in the late fall to manage its size and to remove branches of an upward growth habit. Baccharis 'Thompson' ('Starn')' also grows well with drip irrigation, which it needs during the hottest parts of summer. Height: Height 2 feet to 2 1/2 feet. Width 4 feet to 8 feet. Flowers: The color of the male flower bud is cream colored. Found in racemes, displayed in 1/4 inch flowerheads. Blooming Time: Mid October - January Fruit: Seeds are small achenes tipped with long feathery white threads Leaves: Thick, sessile, green, narrowly linear - oblanceolate. Found: A Landscaping Plant At lower Elevations. Elevation: 500 to 5,000 feet. Habitat: Desert, desert grasslands, and chaparral. Miscellaneous: Designed for Xeriscape.