Desert Broom. Baccharis sarothroides Composite Family ( Compositae ) And Sunflower Family ( Asteracae ), Desert Broom. Also known as; broom baccharis, romerillo (rosemary), escoba amarga (bitter broom) and hierba del pasmo. We wish to thank Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for some of the information on this page. We share images and information with Wikipedia. Desert broom is a vertical, evergreen, densely-branched shrub usually 3 to 6 feet tall, occasionally up to 10 feet tall. Its many fine twigs are green; the tiny, linear leaves are deciduous during dry periods. The plants are dioecious (that is, each individual plant bears only �male�or �female� flowers) and blooms in the fall. The wind - dispersed, white-tasseled seeds are produced by the female plants in such abundance that the plants and nearby ground appear to be snow-covered. Desert broom grows in the desert, desert grasslands, and chaparral from 500 to 5,000 feet elevation in Arizona, California, Sonora, and Baja California. In the winter the cottony mounds crowning the female plant are composed of countless individual fruits. Each seed is attached to many silken, white hairs called pappus. The pappus, serving as parachutes, carry by the wind, the seeds which drift to the ground, collecting everywhere! Desert Broom is relatively short-lived. It is rarely browsed by mammals, but its strong shade fosters the growth of other plants. Desert Broom is most prominent in the higher areas of our Arizona stream beds. Quick Notes: Height: Up To About 3 to 6 feet tall. Flowers: The color of the female flower bud is white. The color of the male flower bud is cream colored. Found in racemes, displayed in 1/4 inch flowerheads. Flowering Time: Mid October - January. Fruit: Seeds are small achenes tipped with long feathery white threads Leaves: Thick, sessile, green, narrowly linear - oblanceolate. Found: Native to the Sonoran Desert of northern Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, Sonora); and the Southwestern United States (AZ, CA, NM, NV, TX). Hardiness: USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 �C (15 �F) USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 �C (20 �F) USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 �C (25 �F) USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 �C (30 �F) USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 �C (35 �F) Soil pH requirements: 5.6 to 6.0 (acidic) 6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic) 6.6 to 7.5 (neutral) 7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline) 7.9 to 8.5 (alkaline) Sun Exposure: Full Sun Elevation: Usually at 500 - 5,000 Feet. Habitat: Desert, desert grasslands, and chaparral. Usually A Xeriscape Landscaping Plant At lower Elevations. Miscellaneous: Flowering Photos Taken October - Nevember 2005. In A Wash, Near Congress, Arizona.

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