Marsh elders have opposite leaves which are toothed and somewhat fleshy. From late summer into fall the shrub has greenish flowers which hang downward on leafy spikes. Marsh elders can grow to a height of about ten feet. In the late summer and early fall it is covered with white clusters of flowers which attract a large number of monarch butterflies. It can be distinguished from marsh elder by its alternate leaves and by its small white flowers which are upright rather than nodding.
Groundsel tree is a member of the composite family.
This is the same family to which asters and dandelions belong. The bushes bear either all male or all female flowers and in the late fall the female shrub appears white due to the abundance of silky white hairs that are attached to the mature seeds. The alternate leaves help distinguish it from marsh elder, which has opposite leaves. It can grow as a vine, a ground cover, or a shrub. All three forms are found at Flax Pond.