Marsh Elder (Iva frutescens) Both the marsh elder (also known as the gall bush) and the groundsel tree are common in the higher parts of the marsh near Toms Cove (map) and elsewhere, often mixed in with saltmeadow cordgrass. The two shrubs are similar in appearance and size (the marsh elder in the photo has a height of about three feet, but this shrub can grow to nine or ten feet, while the groundsel may grow four or five feet higher) and can be most easily distinguished by their leaves: the marsh elder's leaves emerge on opposite sides from the same point on the stems (lower photo) and taper to a point at both the top and bottom with teeth along nearly the full length of both edges; the groundsel's leaves alternate along the stem and are duck- foot-shaped with several irregular teeth along the upper edges;. The marsh elder, found along most of the Atlantic coast, has small, green, round flowers that appear as heads along a thin stem.

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