Seasonal Wild Flowers

Sea-heath

Frankenia laevis

Frankeniaceae

July to August

Native plants grows from the wash round to Hampshire.

The introduced plant is found from Dorset round to the Severn

estuary.

See the BSBI distribution map for Sea-heath

It grows on saltmarshes and where saltmarshes and sand dunes

meet, and less commonly on shingle beaches and chalk sea-cliffs.

Sea-heath is a perennial, low-growing, patch-forming, native herb

growing up to 15cm.

Flowers are small (5mm), with 5 pink, slightly crenate petals.

There are 6 stamens with yellow anthers and the style has a

3-lobed stigma.

Leaves are up to 4mm long, fat and fleshy.

They, and the stems, are often tinged with purple - hence

the purple patch in the first picture.

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Large patch of Sea-heath, West Bay, Dorset

Flowers and leaves

5 pink slightly crenate petals, 6 stamens

3- lobed stigma, withered stamens (protandrous)

Whorls of fleshy leaves