Baccharis halimifolia

Baccharis halimifolia, commonly known as manglier, groundsel bush, or saltbush, has long occupied the liminal spaces of both landscape and medicine. Native to the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America, this tough, salt-tolerant shrub thrives where land meets water—along marsh edges, coastal thickets, ditches, and disturbed ground. For centuries, these same edges were gathering places for plant knowledge, and Baccharis halimifolia became an important medicinal ally in Indigenous, Cajun, and Creole traditions.

Long before formal scientific inquiry, Indigenous peoples of the southeastern coast recognized the plant for its ability to address fevers, respiratory illnesses, and inflammatory conditions, particularly those associated with dampness, cold, and stagnation. Early European settlers arriving in the coastal South learned of its uses through Indigenous teachers, and the plant was quietly absorbed into regional folk medicine.

In south Louisiana, Baccharis halimifolia became best known under its French-Creole name, manglier. Within Cajun and Creole households, manglier tea developed a reputation as a strong, bitter remedy reserved for serious illness. Elders and traditional healers prepared decoctions of the leaves and young twigs to support recovery from colds, influenza, pneumonia, persistent coughs, and “consumption”—a historical term used for wasting lung diseases. The tea was infamous for its bitterness, a quality often interpreted in folk medicine as evidence of potency and effectiveness.

Manglier also entered the realm of metabolic and systemic health. In regional folk practice, it was used for what was commonly referred to as “bad blood” and “the sugar” (diabetes), as well as for inflamed kidneys and urinary discomfort. These uses positioned the plant as a systemic cleanser—not a daily tonic, but a corrective herb called upon during periods of imbalance or excess inflammation.

In the 21st century, modern research began to validate aspects of this long-held knowledge. Studies conducted by researchers at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center and collaborators revealed that extracts of Baccharis halimifolia possess anti-inflammatory activity and influence pathways related to insulin sensitivity and metabolic regulation in laboratory models. While these studies do not replicate traditional preparation methods exactly, they align remarkably well with the plant’s historical applications for inflammation and metabolic imbalance.

Today, Baccharis halimifolia stands as a compelling example of regional ethnobotanical knowledge anticipating modern science. Its medicinal story is inseparable from place—from marsh edges, from grandmother’s kitchens, from communities who relied on the land to care for the body when few other options were available.