Pigeon Point Coyote brush

Baccharis pilularis ‘Pigeon Point’

Description

Pigeon Point coyote brush is a cutting grown cultivar of Baccharis pilularis with a low and spreading growth habit that makes it highly suited for use as a ground cover. It is an evergreen shrub that has bright to medium green rounded leaves and flexible stems. It matures around 18-36 in. high and 6-9 ft. wide, and will drape gracefully on banks and over planter walls. The flowers are cream-white and not classically showy but create a beautiful effect on the plant in the morning or evening light. The flowers are also important for a variety of beneficial insects.

Pigeon Point coyote brush is adapted to both light and heavy soil conditions, full sun and low amounts of summer water. It has proven to be one of the best evergreen ground covers for medium to large parkways, slopes and perimeter garden spaces. As it matures it will develop woody stems and a mounding habit. The mounding habit and the woody stems can be revitalized by pruning the stems back to the ground in mid winter every 4-5 years; the next spring growth cycle is usually very robust.

Plant Type: Shrub, Ground cover
Foliage Character: Evergreen
Habit: Spreading, Mounding
Growth Rate: Moderate
Foliage Color: Medium green
Flower Color: Insignificant
Flower Season: Summer, Spring
Soil Adaptations: Clay, Well-draining soil, Silt, Sand
Exposure Adaptations: Coastal salt air, Aridity, All day sun, Wind, Heat, Fog
Function: Wildlife value, Slopes, Parks and open space, Foliage accent plant, Banks, Attracts butterflies
Height: 18 in. – 24 in.
Width: 6 ft. – 9 ft.

Watering Schedule: Low 1

For most situations, we recommend watering deeply every 3-4 weeks after establishment.

Learn how to apply this watering schedule to your landscape on our How to water waterwise and California native plants page.

Important Notes

These are general guidelines. Always observe and adjust as necessary for your landscape.
If it rains over 1” you will likely not need to water for at least another 3-4 weeks. Before watering again, check the soil. It should be significantly dry at least 4” below the soil surface before watering.
If you have a “smart timer” or weather sensitive irrigation controller, it is best not to use the automatic weather adjusting features for plants in this category. While very useful for watering higher water demanding plants, those in this category have natural drought adaptations which mean they do not need to be watered more in warm weather. Using the weather adjusting features will result in either overwatering in summer or underwatering in fall and spring.
It is important to group plants with the same water needs together in the landscape to avoid needing to over or under water plants when running your irrigation system.

Prune by heading back as much of the new-ish growth as desired in May or cut back as needed mid-winter (January – February) prior to spring growth (1). Every number of years, if looking like it needs to be reinvigorated, Baccharis can be “coppiced” by cutting all the way to the ground to promote new shoots and full regrowth (2). Coyote brush is adaptable to pruning. It can be cut back or sheared like a hedge to promote a denser plant. With some work most Baccharis pilularis or pilularis hybrids can be maintained as a formal hedge. Can be cut back hard or mowed every 3-5 years to keep as a more manageable groundcover (3). These plants grow wide. It is tempting to space them closer together when planting, but doing so (if plants are not removed as necessary as they grow in, which never ends up happening) will lead to them growing over each other and becoming taller than desired in many situations (S). References