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Bigleaf Marsh-elder

Iva frutescens

33
Good

Native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 88%

Height
About 9 feet
Light
Full sun
Soil moisture
Low, Moderate
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
Late summer
Fruiting season
Summer to fall

Not yet recorded · Spread · Life cycle

Recorded in 25 Virginia counties.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 127 animals.

All wildlife of Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

2CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Iva

  • Schinia gracilentaIva Flower Moth, Slender Flower Moth
  • Bucculatrix ivella
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
3BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Iva

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
4BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Iva

  • Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
  • Columbina passerinaCommon Ground Dove
  • Peucaea aestivalisBachman's Sparrow
  • Spizella passerinaChipping Sparrow
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Asteraceae
Flower color
White
Growth rate
Moderate
Growth habit
Several stems
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Fall

What its natural habitat tells you

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
  • Bloom · “Late summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Flower color · “White” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit begins · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit ends · “Fall” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth habit · “Several stems” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Height · “About 9 feet” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Leaf retention · “Deciduous” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Light · “Full sun (minimum requirement)” · Virginia DCR Coastal Plain · Virginia regional planting chart; sunlight is a minimum requirement, moisture is low/moderate/high
  • primary_flower_color · “white” · USDA PLANTS
  • Soil · “Low; Moderate” · Virginia DCR Coastal Plain · Virginia regional planting chart; sunlight is a minimum requirement, moisture is low/moderate/high
Also known as

Bigleaf Marsh elder

Conservation status

Virginia rankS5
Global rankG5
VA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources