# Marshelder (*Euphrosyne xanthiifolia*)

Marshelder is a tall, bright plant that loves to grow in sunny places. It has lovely yellow flowers that attract butterflies and bees, making it a happy spot in nature.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Wetlands

![Marshelder](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Cyclachaena_Xanthifolia_2.jpg&width=800)

Photo: USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cyclachaena_Xanthifolia_2.jpg)

## Appearance

The Marshelder is a tall, bushy plant with large, deeply toothed leaves that are light green on top and paler underneath. Its small, inconspicuous greenish-yellow flower heads grow in dense clusters at the tips of its branches. It often has a robust, branched appearance.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Asterales
- **Family:** Asteraceae
- **Genus:** Cyclachaena

## Interesting facts

- Marshelder can grow over 10 feet tall, sometimes looking like a small, leafy tree!
- Marshelder is super tough, growing fast even in poor soil where others struggle!
- Marshelder pollen, super light, causes many late summer allergies!
- Marshelder's tiny seeds can wait decades in soil, then sprout when disturbed!

## Special abilities

- **Rapid Growth Power:** Marshelder can grow incredibly fast and tall, helping it shade out smaller plants to win more sunlight and space.
- **Traveler Seeds:** Marshelder has many small, light seeds that can float on water or be wind-borne, helping it spread to new places easily.
- **Pollen Cloud:** Marshelder produces massive amounts of very light pollen, which the wind easily carries far away to help new plants grow.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 100-300 cm
- **Spread:** 30-100 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.2-0.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late summer to fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Wind

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [House Sparrow](https://www.snappit.app/explore/house-sparrow) (*Passer domesticus*) — Its small seeds are a food source.
- **Eaten by:** Grass-leafed Sitochroa Moth (*Sitochroa chortalis*) — Larvae feed on the leaves.
- **Symbiotic with:** Root Fungi (*Glomus intraradices*) — It forms a helpful partnership in its roots.

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period.
- [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch plants without asking an adult first.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Marshelder?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Marshelder?

100-300 cm

### How wide does Marshelder spread?

30-100 cm

### How big are the flowers on Marshelder?

0.2-0.5 cm

### When does Marshelder bloom?

Late summer to fall

### Is Marshelder edible?

No

### Is Marshelder toxic?

None

### What is Marshelder's lifecycle?

Annual

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Marshelder: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/marshelder)