# Common Sea-lavender (*Limonium vulgare*) Common Sea-lavender is a pretty flower that grows near the sea. It has small purple flowers that look like little clouds on tall stems. These flowers love sunny places and can be found in coastal areas. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Coastal areas ![Common Sea-lavender](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Gewoehnlicher_Strandflieder_%28Limonium_vulgare%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: peterichman, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gewoehnlicher_Strandflieder_%28Limonium_vulgare%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Common Sea-lavender has a cloud-like display of tiny, papery, lavender-purple flowers held on stiff, branched stems. Its leathery, spoon-shaped basal leaves are green and often lie flat to the ground. This creates a distinctive misty purple haze in coastal landscapes. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Caryophyllales - **Family:** Plumbaginaceae - **Genus:** Limonium ## Interesting facts - Ancient cultures might have used this resilient plant for its hidden medicinal powers! - Hundreds of tiny purple flowers can make entire salt marshes look like they're glowing! - Its flowers are sometimes called 'statice,' perfect for everlasting dried bouquets! - The name 'Sea-lavender' is tricky; it's not related to true lavender plants! ## Special abilities - **Salt-Sweeper:** Common Sea-lavender can remove excess salt from its leaves, helping it thrive in harsh, salty coastal soils. - **Wind-Warrior:** It has tough, leathery leaves and stiff, robust stems that help it withstand strong coastal winds without damage. - **Root Anchor:** Its strong, fibrous root system helps to stabilize shifting coastal sands and prevent erosion. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 15-70 cm - **Spread:** 20-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honeybee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits flowers for nectar - **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed Bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — An important local pollinator - **Pollinates:** [Painted Lady](https://www.snappit.app/explore/painted-lady) (*Vanessa cardui*) — Migratory butterfly seeking nectar ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Cluster Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cluster-flower): Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [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. - [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. - [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't pick flowers unless you have permission. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Common Sea-lavender? 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 Common Sea-lavender? 15-70 cm ### How wide does Common Sea-lavender spread? 20-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on Common Sea-lavender? 0.5-1 cm ### When does Common Sea-lavender bloom? Summer ### Is Common Sea-lavender edible? No ### Is Common Sea-lavender toxic? None ### What is Common Sea-lavender's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/schleswig-holstein-wadden-sea-national-park) — Schleswig-Holstein, DE · 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*) --- Source: [Common Sea-lavender: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-sea-lavender)