Limonium duriusculum

European sea lavender

Family: Plumbaginaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes

European sea lavender is a naturalized perennial found in southern California coastal areas, including the Verdugo Mountains and Peninsular Ranges in coastal salt marshes, coastal scrub, and riparian areas at elevations below 445 meters. Flowering from September to June, this plant produces pale pink flowers in small, curved clusters distributed along branch tips. Growing with an erect habit reaching 20 to 30 centimeters tall, it develops distinctive basal leaves that are oblanceolate to spoon-shaped, 1 to 4 centimeters long and 5 to 9 millimeters wide with obtuse tips. Its leaves cluster at the base of the plant, creating a compact rosette with pale green to grayish foliage. The small flowers have a delicate calyx approximately 5.5 to 6 millimeters long, with a spreading limb that persists after flowering.

Habitat: Coastal salt marsh, coastal scrub, riparian scrub, disturbed areas

Bloom period: Sep-Jun

Elevation: < 445 m

Bioregions: SCo, SnGb (Verdugo Mtns), PR

California counties: San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Yolo, Alameda, Marin, Santa Barbara

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