Iva frutescens (High-Tide Bush)

A genuine salt marsh specialist, high-tide bush is well adapted to saline soils but notably intolerant of prolonged flooding - making it the right choice specifically for the upper, less-frequently-inundated margins of a tidal restoration project.

Species Overview

Iva frutescens, commonly known as high-tide bush or marsh elder, is a salt-tolerant shrub native to coastal marshes and tidal areas of the eastern United States, from Nova Scotia down the Atlantic coast and along the Gulf Coast to Texas. Growing 3 to 10 feet tall, it thrives in saline soils and is very common in salt marsh habitat, typically forming a narrow band along the upper margins of marshes.

Application

• Upper salt marsh margin restoration - tolerant of salinity but not prolonged flooding
• Coastal erosion control and shoreline stabilization
• Naturalized coastal and moist-garden plantings
• Wildlife habitat - seeds and cover for coastal birds

Growing Conditions / Specification Data

• Light: Full Sun
• Soil/Moisture Tolerance: Saline, moist soils; tolerates some flooding but is not highly flood tolerant, so it occupies a narrow band above the regular tide line
• Plant Type: Shrub
• Mature Height: 4-8 ft.
• Fall Color: Insignificant/None
• Bloom Color / Period: White; August-October
• Wetland Indicator Status: NI (No Indicator) - see flags
• Native Range: Nova Scotia south along the Atlantic coast and Gulf Coast to Texas
• Hydrology: Mesic-Moist
• Root Depth: Moderate (12-24 in.)
• Growth Rate: Rapid
• Drought Tolerance: High
• Deer Resistance: Yes (Rarely Damaged)
• Shade Tolerance: Intolerant
• Salinity Tolerance: High
• Flood Tolerance: Moderate - A salt marsh shrub that establishes in the upper marsh and marsh-upland transition zone rather than the regularly-inundated low marsh; tolerates periodically saturated soil but not sustained deep flooding.
• Growth Habit: Multi-stemmed/Thicket-forming - dense, rounded thickets
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-9
• Pollinator Value: None significant - wind-pollinated