# Alkali Heath (*Frankenia salina*) Alkali Heath is a special plant that grows in salty places like marshes and shores. It has tiny pink flowers and is very good at living in tough conditions where other plants can't survive. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 7 - **Habitat:** Coastal areas ![Alkali Heath](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Frankenia_salina.jpg&width=800) Photo: Franz Xaver, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Frankenia_salina.jpg) ## Appearance The Alkali Heath is a low, sprawling shrub with slender, reddish stems and tiny, scale-like leaves. Its small, delicate pink to lavender flowers bloom in clusters, giving it a soft, bushy appearance unlike most other salt-tolerant plants. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Caryophyllales - **Family:** Frankeniaceae - **Genus:** Frankenia ## Interesting facts - Its leaves often turn reddish-purple in cold weather! - Many desert insects find shelter beneath its bushy branches! - Native people once used this plant to make a soapy lather! - This plant can 'sweat' salt crystals from its tiny leaves! ## Special abilities - **Salt Sweats:** Alkali Heath has special glands on its leaves that excrete excess salt, helping it thrive where most plants cannot. - **Deep Drinker:** Alkali Heath can grow deep roots to find water in dry, salty soils, helping it survive arid conditions. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 15-60 cm - **Spread:** 30-90 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to fall - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Gathers nectar from its flowers. - **Pollinates:** Yellow-faced bumblebee (*Bombus vosnesenskii*) — Visits blooms for pollen. - **Eaten by:** [Black-tailed Jackrabbit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-tailed-jackrabbit) (*Lepus californicus*) — Browses on its leaves and stems. - **Shelter:** [Western Fence Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-fence-lizard) (*Sceloporus occidentalis*) — Hides in its low-growing branches. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Salt Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/salt-tolerant): Salt tolerant plants can withstand and grow in conditions with elevated salinity levels in the soil or water. - [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch plants unless you know they are safe. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Alkali Heath? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Alkali Heath? 15-60 cm ### How wide does Alkali Heath spread? 30-90 cm ### How big are the flowers on Alkali Heath? 0.5-1 cm ### When does Alkali Heath bloom? Spring to fall ### Is Alkali Heath edible? No ### Is Alkali Heath toxic? None ### What is Alkali Heath's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Eden Landing Ecological Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/eden-landing-ecological-reserve) — California, US · Nature Reserve - [San Elijo Lagoon](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/san-elijo-lagoon) — California, US · Nature Reserve - [Sherman Library and Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sherman-library-and-gardens) — California, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see Alkali Heath](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/alkali-heath) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Alkali Heath: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/alkali-heath)