Sea Milkwort

Lysimachia maritima

Sea Milkwort is a lovely plant that grows near the coast. It has bright yellow flowers that look like little stars and can help make sandy places beautiful.

Habitat: Coastal areas

Appearance

The Sea Milkwort is a low-growing plant with fleshy, oval leaves that often have a reddish tint. Its tiny, pale pink to purplish-white bell-shaped flowers grow directly from the leaf axils, hugging the stem. It often forms mats on salty ground.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderEricalesFamilyPrimulaceaeGenusLysimachia

Sea Milkwort

Interesting facts

Even with its small flowers, tiny flies and bees love to visit them for a sweet treat.

Its old name 'Glaux' means 'owl' in Greek, perhaps because of its wide-open tiny flowers!

Sea Milkwort leaves can taste quite salty if you nibble them, like a natural snack from the sea!

This plant is related to garden primroses and loosestrifes, even though it looks very different.

Special abilities

Sea Milkwort can thrive in super salty soil and even brackish water, thanks to its special ability to handle high salt levels.

Sea Milkwort has thick, somewhat succulent leaves that can store water, helping it survive in dry, exposed coastal environments.

Sea Milkwort can help stabilize shifting sand dunes with its creeping roots, preventing erosion along the coastline.

Measurements & details

Height: 5-25 cm
Spread: 10-40 cm
Flower Size: 0.2-0.4 cm
Bloom Season: Late spring to late summer
Edible: Yes
Toxicity: None
Lifecycle: Perennial
Pollination Method: Insect

Ecological connections

pollinates

Sweat Bee

Lasioglossum calceatum

Visits its small flowers for nectar.

eaten by

Spanish Slug

Arion lusitanicus

Slugs may graze on its leaves and stems.

eaten by

Mallard

Anas platyrhynchos

Waterfowl sometimes graze on its low-growing foliage.

Traits

Flowering

Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.

Ornamental

Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form.