Beach Elder aka Seacoast Marshelder

(Iva imbricata)

This is a pioneer plant—one of the first to return to dunes after a large storm.  Iva imbricata is a North American species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names such as Beach elder, dune marshelder, and seacoast marshelder. It is native to Cuba, the Bahamas, and coastal areas of the United States from Texas to Virginia. It is a low shrub, found on sand dunes and the upper beach. It is a highly salt tolerant plant, and is often the perennial plant closest to the ocean. It has small green pea-like flowers in the summer, followed by brown fruit in the fall.  It is an important species for dune stabilization and can easily be propagated by cuttings.

Information Provided by the Friends of Barefoot Beach Preserve
No Reproduction Without Written Permission
www.friendsofbarefootbeach.org