Saltmarsh-elder, Bigleaf sumpweed
Iva frutescens
Asteraceae


Landscape Uses:

Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations.

Ecological Restoration Notes:

Availability:
Grown by one or two native plant nurseries in South Florida.
Description:
Medium shrub with erect stems. Leaves succulent, semi-deciduous.
Height:
From 3-10 feet tall. Colonial, forming large patches.
Growth Rate:
Fast.
Range:
Eastern and southeastern United States west to Texas and south to Miami-Dade and Collier counties. Not recorded for southeastern Florida except for a single Miami-Dade County collection made by John Kunkell Small and J.J. Carter on Virginia Key in 1906.
Habitats:
Coastal marshes.
Soils:
Wet to moist, poorly-drained to inundated brackish soils.
Nutritional Requirements:
Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive.
Salt Water Tolerance:
Moderate; tolerates brackish water or occasional inundation by salt water.
Salt Wind Tolerance:
Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation.
Drought Tolerance:
Low; requires moist to wet soils and is intolerant of long periods of drought.
Light Requirements:
Full sun to light shade.
Flower Color:
Greenish-white.
Flower Characteristics:
Inconspicuous.
Flowering Season:
Summer-fall.
Fruit:
Inconspicuous achene.
Wildlife and Ecology:
Provides some food and moderate amounts of cover for wildlife.
Horticultural Notes:
Can be grown from seed or cuttings.
Comments:


Susan Trammell
Shirley Denton
Shirley Denton