When growing in windy environments, this organism will grow low along the ground, but when growing in sheltered environments, it grows tall. The leaves have a waxy coating to reduce moisture loss, a chemical makeup that makes them fairly fire resistant, and produce a scent that deters predators. It also has a large root system and root crowns. What organism and environment is described above?
This organism is a coyote brush or the Baccharis pililaris. It is a shrub that is a family of daisy. They are mostly found in California, Washington and Oregon. This plant takes a different shape depending on the environment where it is found. It grows in a chaparral biome where there is little biodiversity and a habitat of only few species.
