Frankenia pulverulenta

European sea heath

Family: Frankeniaceae · Type: annual · Not Native

European sea heath is a naturalized annual found in southern California coastal areas in high-salinity marshes and intermittently flooded areas at elevations below 20 meters. Flowering from April to September, this plant produces delicate pink to purple flowers 4 to 5 millimeters long in small axillary clusters. Growing with decumbent to ascending stems 1 to 8 centimeters tall and covered in curved white hairs, it forms compact plants up to 15 to 30 centimeters in diameter. Its small leaves are 1 to 6 millimeters long, narrow, and slightly rolled under with sparse hairs on the underside. The plant produces numerous oblong-ellipsoid seeds in fruits 2 to 2.5 millimeters long.

Habitat: High-salinity marshes and intermittently flooded areas

Bloom period: Apr-Sep

Elevation: < 20 m

Bioregions: SCo

California counties: San Diego

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.