Groundsel trees are in full bloom and thriving these days in the vast salt marshes that ring the many Island saltwater ponds, their gray-green silvery flowers leaning and nodding in the autumn winds that buffet the shorelines.

A lesser-known member of the aster family, the groundsel tree is not a tree in the ordinary sense of the word, but rather is a shrub that grows and thrives in salt marsh borders. Its close companion is the marsh elder, another shrub that likes saltwater ponds and wetlands.

Uniquely coastal, groundsel occurs from Massachusetts to Florida and blooms from August into early fall.

But its peak season is now, perhaps made more brilliant by the fact that the more common purple and white wild asters usually seen in the woods and fields in fall never had much of a show this year due to dryness.

The female plants are especially showy with their thick, silky flower heads and understated color scheme, perfectly matched with the season at hand and its hues of cream, russet and gold.

A round of applause, please, for the groundsel girls who grace the salt marshes of fall.