Other common names

Povertyweed, bozzleweed, deathweed, salt sage, small-flowered marsh elder

Scientific name

Iva Axillaris

Family

Asteraceae

Description

Poverty sumpweed grows to 2 feet tall in large colonies in disturbed sites. The leaves have a strong odor most people find unpleasant. When touched, the foliage can cause contact dermatitis in sensitive people.

• Leaves

  Grayish-green, lobed and covered with short, bristly hairs. Oppositely attached to the stem toward the bottom of the plant, and alternately attached above.

• Stems

  Gray-green, bristly, upright and branched.

  Flowers

  Produces greenish male and female flowers on the same plant during the summer. Male flowers hang or nod at the ends of branches. Female flowers are spiny and are found in the leaf axils.

• Roots

  Grows deep, woody creeping roots.

Native to

Western North America

Where it grows

Salt marshes, alkali plains, roadsides and pastures, and sites disturbed by cultivation or overgrazing

Life cycle

Perennial (lives longer than two years)

Reproduction

Reproduces by creeping roots and seed

Control methods

Poverty sumpweed can be difficult to control due to its deep, spreading root system. As with all perennials, the roots must be killed to effectively control this plant.