VNPS Wildflower of the Week

Groundseltree (Baccharis halimifolia) - You see it everwhere this time of year—along roadsides and train tracks, and lining the edges of beaches, ponds and streams. It loves damp soil. It's dioecious, meaning it comes in two varieties, boy and girl. The girl bushes have virginal white flowers and the boy bushes are a dingy pale yellow.

In late fall, the female plants release fluffy white seeds as seen below.

Groundseltree provide shelter for wildlife as well as nectar for moths and butterflies, and the seeds are sometimes eaten by birds.