Seasonal Wild Flowers

Shrubby Sea-blite

Suaeda vera

Chenopodiaceae

June to October

It is found on the coast of East Anglia, Kent, Hampshire

and Dorset and a few places elsewhere.

See the BSBI distribution map for Shrubby Sea-blite

It grows on coastal shingle and sand, and the upper

zones of salt marshes when adjacent to shingle or sand.

Shrubby Sea-blite is a native, evergreen, woody, patch-

forming shrub, growing up to 1m.

Flowers are greenish-yellow without petals.

There are 5 stamens and 3 stigmas, which are not

easy to see.

Leaves are fleshy, tubes with rounded ends, and

up to 2cm.

Leaves vary in colour from green, to yellow to

purple.

Stems are stout and woody.

Shrubby Sea-blite, Chesil beach, Dorset

Leafy branches

Shoot with flowers, leaves

Female flowers = pink stigmas

Male flower - 5 stamens

Purple leaves in September

Woody stem