Iva frutescens L.

Jesuit's Bark; Maritime Marsh Elder

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Jesuit’s Bark is a native shrub or subshrub in the Sunflower family (Asteraceae). It is native to the coastal counties of Alabama. Jesuit’s Bark occurs in brackish or saltwater marshes and on beaches. It is a perennial with a tap root. Stems are erect, 4-10 feet in height, branched above the middle, and green or brown in color. Leaves are opposite, petiolate, elliptic to lanceolate or ovate in outline, usually toothed, closely scabrellous on the faces, and gland dotted. Flowers are produced in heads. The heads are arranged in racemiform arrays. Each head has a short peduncle and a green hemispheric involucre. Heads have 2-5 pistillate flowers and 3-8 staminate flowers. The heads have only disc flowers. The fruit is a brown to yellow globe-shaped achene. Jesuit’s Bark is tolerant of salty soils and salt spray, and is sometimes used in coastal plantings. It can be pruned to form a hedge. The common name "Jesuit's Bark" refers to the use of the bark by Jesuit missionaries as a tea to combat fevers from malaria. Jesuit’s Bark is sometimes available from native plant nurseries or can be grown from cuttings taken from dormant twigs.—A. Diamond.

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Native FACW+ (NWPL)

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