Trailing Desert Broom
Baccharis hybrid (male)
A male hybrid groundcover that thrives in tough conditions and produces no allergenic seed fluff.
Reliably evergreen in USDA zones 9-11, this heat-loving low-desert plant tolerates hard freezes into the low teens without significant dieback.
AMWUA Notes
A very low-water, tough-site groundcover; being a sterile male clone it avoids the invasive seeding of wild desert broom.
Care Guide
Water every 10-14 days to establish, then only every 3-4 weeks once rooted; it tolerates poor drainage and reflected heat better than most groundcovers.
Shear hard nearly to the ground in late winter every year or two to renew dense foliage and remove woody buildup; light tip-shearing controls spread otherwise.
Rarely needs fertilizer; skip feeding entirely in native or low-water beds to avoid rank growth.
Essentially pest-free; the cultivars Centennial and Starn are chosen for toughness in disturbed and roadside soils.
Small white flowers appear in fall on this male clone, which sets no messy wind-blown seed fluff; stays green year-round with no frost dieback.
Soil, Feeding & Propagation
Thrives in poor, compacted, disturbed, or rocky desert soils; highly tolerant of alkaline and saline conditions and reflected heat.
Needs moderate soil.
None — thrives in lean desert soil without fertilizer.
Cuttings only, since the desirable plants are sterile male clones (Centennial, Starn) that set no viable seed.
4-5 ft on center for a solid mass
Non-aggressive fibrous roots; a sterile male clone, so no invasive self-seeding like wild desert broom.
Placement Tips
- •Space 4-5 ft apart for a solid low-water mass in medians, parking islands, and hot exposed sites.
- •Ideal for compacted or disturbed soils and slopes where fussier groundcovers fail.
- •Plant male clones only near patios to avoid the allergenic seed fluff of female desert broom.
- •Site in full sun and reflected heat; it tolerates the harshest western exposures.
Features
Best Uses
Ecological Value
Attracts
Wildlife Value
Companion Plants
Quick Stats
Design Styles
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Use this care guide to maintain your Trailing Desert Broom. Questions about your landscape? Reach out anytime.
Data from 2024 AMWUA “Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert” guide.