# coastal inkberry (*Scaevola plumieri*)

Coastal inkberry is a fun plant that grows near the beach! It has shiny green leaves and pretty white flowers that look like little fans. This plant helps keep the sand in place and is great for the beach environment.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Coastal areas

![coastal inkberry](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Scaevola_plumieri_at_Xai-Xai_beach._%2814875668562%29.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Ton Rulkens from Mozambique, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Scaevola_plumieri_at_Xai-Xai_beach._%2814875668562%29.jpg)

## Appearance

The coastal inkberry is a sprawling, low-growing shrub with thick, shiny, light green leaves. It produces small, white, fan-shaped flowers that develop into distinctive round, black, berry-like fruits, giving it its common name.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Asterales
- **Family:** Goodeniaceae
- **Genus:** Scaevola

## Interesting facts

- Despite its name, the "berries" of the inkberry are actually dry, fleshy drupes!
- Its fruits are tiny, black, and resemble drops of ink, giving the plant its name!
- Many shorebirds rely on its dark, "inky" fruits as a vital food source.
- This resilient plant grows on sunny beaches across tropical and subtropical regions worldwide!

## Special abilities

- **Salt Shield:** Coastal inkberry can thrive near the ocean because its thick, succulent leaves help it store water and resist salty winds.
- **Sand Anchor:** Its long, creeping stems and roots spread out, firmly gripping loose sand to help prevent beach erosion.
- **Water Wisdom:** Coastal inkberry has fleshy leaves that store precious water, helping it survive long dry spells in sunny, sandy habitats.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 50-200 cm
- **Spread:** 100-300 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer-Fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [Northern Mockingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/northern-mockingbird) (*Mimus polyglottos*) — Its dark berries provide a food source for this bird.
- **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Honey bees visit its fan-shaped flowers for nectar.
- **Eats:** Leafcutter Ant (*Atta cephalotes*) — Ants can harvest its leaves for their fungus gardens.

## 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.
- [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once.
- [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 stay on paths and don't touch plants without asking an adult.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify coastal inkberry?

Compare how the fruit is clustered, the leaves and their arrangement, the stems and any thorns. Red, blue and black fruits grow on lots of unrelated plants, and the same color can show up on both edible and poisonous species. Berry Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is coastal inkberry?

50-200 cm

### How wide does coastal inkberry spread?

100-300 cm

### How big are the flowers on coastal inkberry?

1-2 cm

### When does coastal inkberry bloom?

Summer-Fall

### Is coastal inkberry edible?

No

### Is coastal inkberry toxic?

None

### What is coastal inkberry's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Fort De Soto Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-de-soto-park) — US · Nature Reserve
- [Cayo Costa State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cayo-costa-state-park) — Florida, US · State Park

## 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*)

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Source: [Coastal Inkberry: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coastal-inkberry)