Seasonal Wild Flowers

Sea Sandwort

Honckenya peploides

Caryophyllaceae

May to July

It is found all round the coast and in a few places inland.

See the BSBI distribution map for Sea Sandwort

It is an early coloniser of mobile sand and sandy shingle.

Sea Sandwort is a native, succulent, perennial herb

growing up to 25cm.

It forms large, spreading colonies due to its creeping

stolons.

Flowers are greenish-white and up to 1cm.

Petals are the same length as sepals in male flowers

and shorter than sepals in female flowers.

Normally there are 5 petals (6 in the picture here).

Stamens are alternatively long and short, appear

before the styles, and die off in female flowers.

Female flowers normally have 3 styles, but sometimes

more.

The fruits are up to 8mm across - slightly shorter than

the sepals.

Leaves are fleshy and deep green.

Previous page: Sea Radish
Next page: Seaside Daisy

Sea Sandwort on shingle

10 stamens and 3 styles

Globose fruits

Leaves and stolons

Erect stems/leaves

Sea Sandwort colony on shingle