MIDTOWN FARM - Baccharis sarothroides | desert broom | romerillo | su:sk wakck

Co​mmon Names:  

English: desert broom

Spanish: romerillo, hierba del pasmo, escoba amarga, casol

Tohono O’odham: su:sk wakck

Botanical Name:

Baccharis sarothroides

Family:

Asteraceae

Distribution:

Sonoran Desert (elevation: 1,000 - 5,500 feet). Typically grows in saline soils and prefers sandy washes.

Flowering Season:

August, October, and November

Medicinal Uses:

Desert broom is used medicinally both internally and topically.

The leaves and stems are used to make a tea to treat symptoms of the common cold and sinus headaches. This same tea can be used for sore muscle relief when applied topically.

References Cited:

Felger, Richard Stephen., and Mary Beck. Moser. People of the Desert and Sea: Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians. Tucson, Ariz.: U of Arizona, 1985. Web.