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Baccharis patagonica

Common name:		Family:	Compositae
Author:	Hook.& Arn.	Botanical references:	11, 69, 200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	Southern S. America - Argentina, Chile.
Habitat:	Rock crevices, forest margins and coastal sands[69].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Asterales. Renamed to Asteraceae -- Aster family

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 3m by 3m at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 8 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower in May. The scented flowers are dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required) and are pollinated by Insects. The plant not is self-fertile. We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in saline soil. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Hedge, Woodland, Sunny Edge.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Fuel Hedge.

A very good hedge for exposed maritime conditions[166, 182, 200]. It is exceedingly tolerant of maritime exposure and amenable to clipping, though it is rather slow growing[K]. Plants tend to be as wide or wider than they are tall and produce a very dense weed-excluding cover[K].
Plants have an extensive root system and can be grown on sand or thin coastal soils in order to bind the soil[200].
Resinous secretions on the leaves and wood make this a useful fuel[11]. It is a fairly small plant though and would not be a very productive source.

Cultivation details

Succeeds in almost any soil, from heavy clays to pure sands, if it is growing in a sunny position[11, 200. Tolerates saline conditions[200]. A dense evergreen shrub, it is useful for coastal situations and is exceedingly tolerant of maritime exposure[49, 166, 182]. A rather slow-growing plant, increasing in height by 15 - 25cm a year[K].
Plants are hardy to about -15° c[200].
Very tolerant of pruning, plants produce an abundance of new shoots if they are cut back to the ground[K]. Flowers are produced on the previous year's growth[K].
Considered to be very attractive by most visitors to our trial grounds, the foliage and flowers are strongly aromatic, especially on hot sunny days[K].
Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Propagation

Seed - no pre-treatment is required[113]. Surface sow in pots a cold frame in the spring, do not let the compost dry out. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 2 weeks[113]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the cold frame for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Very easy[K].
Cuttings of mature wood of the current seasons growth, November in a frame. Easy[K].

Scent

Flowers: Fresh: The flowers are strongly aromatic.
Plant: Fresh Crushed: The leaves and flowers are strongly aromatic in the summer, especially on hot sunny days.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Web References

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[49] Arnold-Forster. Shrubs for the Milder Counties.
Trees and shrubs that grow well in &ndndndnd and other mild areas of Britain. Fairly good, a standard reference book.

[69] Moore. D. M. Flora of Tierra del Fuego. Anthony Nelson. 1983 ISBN 0-904614-05-0
Standard work for this part of S. America. Excellent details of habitat and a few notes on plant uses.

[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.

[166] Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990
A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

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