Dune Marsh-elder

Iva imbricata

Dune Marsh-elder is a special plant that grows in sandy areas near the coast. It has thick, green leaves and can help protect the beach from erosion.

Lebensraum: Coastal areas

Aussehen

The Dune Marsh-elder is a bushy, somewhat succulent perennial plant with woody stems at its base. It has narrow, fleshy, bright green leaves that are often arranged in an overlapping pattern. Its small, greenish-white flower heads are inconspicuous and appear in clusters along the upper stem.

ReichPlantaeStammTracheophytaKlasseMagnoliopsidaOrdnungAsteralesFamilieAsteraceaeGattungIva

Dune Marsh-elder

Kategorie

Pflanzen

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Despite its name, its tiny flowers are so plain they don't even have petals!

It's a cousin to sunflowers and daisies, even though it looks very different.

Some tiny coastal insects only eat this specific plant, making it a special food source!

This plant helps create new land by trapping sand, slowly building up dunes over time.

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Dune Marsh-elder has special glands that help it remove excess salt from its tissues, allowing it to thrive in salty coastal air and soil.

This plant can grow a dense network of underground stems and roots, acting like a living net to hold shifting sand dunes in place.

Its thick, waxy leaves are designed to store water and reduce evaporation, helping it survive long dry spells in sandy environments.

Maße und Details

Höhe: 30-100 cm
Ausbreitung: 30-100 cm
Blütengröße: 0.2-0.5 cm
Blütezeit: Late summer to fall
Essbar: Nein
Giftigkeit: Keine
Lebenszyklus: Mehrjährig
Bestäubungsmethode: Wind

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

symbiotic with

Sea Oats

Uniola paniculata

Grows alongside to help stabilize fragile coastal dunes together.

symbiotic with

Saltmarsh Hay

Spartina patens

Often found growing together in brackish areas of salt marshes.

shelters

Mallard

Anas platyrhynchos

Coastal birds may use its dense clumps for cover or nesting near water.

eats

Marsh-elder Bug

Stictopleurus punctatonervosus

A true bug that specifically feeds on various marsh-elder species.

Merkmale

Blühend

Blütenpflanzen sind alle Pflanzen, die als Teil ihres Fortpflanzungszyklus Blüten bilden.

Strauch

Ein Strauch ist eine verholzende Pflanze, die kleiner als ein Baum ist und typischerweise mehrere Stämme hat, die sich ab oder nahe dem Boden verzweigen.