coyote brush

Also known as Chaparral Broom, Bush Baccharis

Coyote brush stands as a foundational evergreen shrub across western coastal habitats, anchoring coastal sage scrub and chaparral ecosystems with its dense, resinous foliage. As a dioecious plant, male bushes produce small yellow pollen clusters in autumn while female plants transform into fluffy white plumes of seed heads carried by the wind. Its deep root systems stabilize disturbed slopes against erosion, while its late-season blooms provide crucial nectar for native pollinators when few other plants are flowering.