Spergularia marina
Saltmarsh sand-spurrey
(c) Stan Shebs, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Caryophyllaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Spergularia marina (Saltmarsh sand-spurrey) is a native California herb in the Caryophyllaceae family, recognized by most salt-tolerant annual with small seeds.
Saltmarsh sand-spurrey is a delicate California native annual found in northern coastal, central Sierra Nevada foothills, Great Valley, coastal California, San Francisco Bay, southern California, Channel Islands, Peninsular Ranges, and desert regions in mud flats, salt marshes, and sandy coastal areas at elevations below 700 meters. Flowering from March to September, this plant produces white to pink or rosy flowers in small glandular-hairy clusters. Growing with extremely slender stems less than 2 millimeters thick, it forms a delicate, low-growing herb. Its leaves are fleshy with small, dull white triangular stipules, creating a subtle, compact appearance. The fruit is 3 to 6 millimeters long, containing light brown to red-brown seeds with minimal wing development.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 10 sympatric species; most salt-tolerant annual with small seeds
Habitat and range
Habitat: Mud flats, alkaline fields, sandy river bottoms, sandy coasts, salt marshes
Elevation: < 700 m
California counties: Kern, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Imperial, Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Humboldt, Santa Barbara, Alameda, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Fresno, Inyo, San Benito, San Francisco, San Joaquin, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Tulare, Sonoma, Napa, Placer, Plumas, San Mateo, Shasta, Stanislaus, Yolo, Colusa, Marin, Merced, Monterey, Butte, Glenn, Tehama, Kings, Del Norte, Madera, Sacramento, Sutter
Outside California: North America, South America, Eurasia
Bloom period
Spergularia marina blooms Mar-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Spergula: Spergularia has simple opposite leaves at nodes; Spergula has whorl-like clusters of 16-30 leaves per node.; vs Erodium: Spergularia has tiny pink/white flowers with round capsules; Erodium has purple flowers with long-beaked stork's-bill fruits.; vs Sabulina: Spergularia has fleshy leaves and triangular stipules; Sabulina has thread-like leaves without stipules.; vs Cakile: Spergularia has opposite fleshy leaves with pink flowers; Cakile has alternate fleshy leaves with 4-petaled mustard flowers.; vs Calandrinia: Spergularia has 5 tiny petals and triangular stipules; Calandrinia has 3-7 showy petals and no stipules.
Frequently asked questions
Is Spergularia marina native to California?
Yes. Spergularia marina is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Spergularia marina bloom?
Spergularia marina blooms Mar-Sep.
Where in California does Spergularia marina grow?
Spergularia marina occurs in Kern, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Imperial, Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles and other counties, at elevations of < 700 m.
What plant family does Spergularia marina belong to?
Spergularia marina is in the Caryophyllaceae family, genus Spergularia.
What habitat does Spergularia marina grow in?
Spergularia marina grows in Mud flats, alkaline fields, sandy river bottoms, sandy coasts, salt marshes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.