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Taxon  Report  
Baccharis salicifolia  (Ruiz & Pav.) Pers.
Mule fat., seep willow,   Mule's fat,   Mulefat
Baccharis salicifolia is a shrub that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in western North America.
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
DJJJASONAFMM

Bloom Period
Subspecies and Varieties:
Genus: Baccharis
Family: Asteraceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Wetlands:
Arid West: Equally likely to occur in wetlands and non wetlands
Mountains, Valleys and Coast: Occurs usually in wetlands, occasionally in non wetlands

Habitat: streambanks

Communities: Coastal Sage Scrub, Foothill Woodland, Valley Grassland, wetland-riparian, many plant communities

Name Status:
Accepted by PLANTS
Alternate Names:
PLANTSBaccharis viminea
PLANTSMolina salicifolia
Information about  Baccharis salicifolia from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
This plant is available commercially.
USDA PLANTS Profile (BASA4)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[Wikipedia] Native American Use, Fire Starting Properties: The Kayenta Navajo people use this plant in a compound infusion of plants used as a lotion for chills from immersion. Another use is fire starting. Dried Baccharis salicifolia has a very low ignition temperature, very similar to the dried yucca stalk. It can be used for spindles and hand-drill shafts. (link added by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 11/21/2024).