Baccharis macrantha is a shrub or subshrub native to the Andes of Colombia and Ecuador. In Colombia it is recorded from about 5,600 to 13,450 feet in forest, shrubland, native grassland, inland wetlands, and disturbed terrestrial habitats. Its compact flower heads are grouped into dense cream-colored clusters; each head contains numerous small tubular florets rather than a single flower.

The species is used in Colombian restoration work for erosion control and soil recovery, and it is also planted in gardens and parks. Its aerial growth is eaten by animals in parts of Boyacá. The plant has been recorded across numerous Colombian departments from the Caribbean-facing ranges through the central and southern Andes. Photographed in Colombia.