Marsh Rosemary- Limonium californicum
This is a stunning little plant that is found in the middle and upper part of salt marshes, mainly in California but also a bit into Mexico to the South and Oregon in the North. Also known as Sea Lavender, this plant is a perennial herb that displays a gorgeous purple during the summer and fall months.
According to calflora.net : the genus, Limonium, comes from the ancient Greek name Leimonion, supposedly from leimon, "a marsh" (ref. genus Limonium). The species californicum obviously references where it is found.
Many times the true native Limonium is confused with Perez’s Sea Lavender (Limonium perezii) or Algerian Sea Lavender (Limonium ramosissimum). Often I have found these two substitutes planted in restoration sites under the native misnomer. This is unfortunate because it is not difficult to differentiate between the native and non-native plants and with the many flowers on the stem I am assuming many seeds will be produced from these invaders.
I chose to present this salt marsh plant first because I walked out of my house the other day to water my potted plants and found the flowering stalk of one of my Marsh Rosemary’s creeping out of its basal leaf structure. The leaves are a very subtle green, kind of like cooked peas, and they are uniquely broad – a leaf characteristic not usually found in a salt marsh. However, a trait similar to its neighbors is the plant’s ability to remove the dangerous, water hoarding salt crystals abundant in the habitat. After absorbing the salt through its roots, Limonium will excrete the mineral from its leaves producing a white film on the dry leaves- and I promise it’s salty. But most exciting, now at least, is the fact that their distinctive lavender flowers are about to bloom. The foot-long or so stalk is growing, reaching for the sun, away from the competitive canopy close to the marsh floor. It will, starting in the next few weeks and going until December, blossom a cascading violet inflorescence (botanist term for a whole bunch of flowers).
I have not read this anywhere, or if I did I forget, but I have seen the rare Wandering Skipper on a Limonium flower, so I would venture to guess that the plant provides some nectar for the tiny butterfly. It seems appropriate considering the insect is coming out of the larval stage (where another salt-marsh plant, Salt Grass, provides necessary resources) and looking for food.
After noticing my plant beginning its sexual phase, I walked down to the Colorado Lagoon where I work and saw a little field of them stretching out toward the clouds. I am looking forward to my next Los Cerritos visit to see how the Sea Lavenders in that pristine habitat are displaying themselves.
This is a stunning little plant that is found in the middle and upper part of salt marshes, mainly in California but also a bit into Mexico to the South and Oregon in the North. Also known as Sea Lavender, this plant is a perennial herb that displays a gorgeous purple during the summer and fall months.
According to calflora.net : the genus, Limonium, comes from the ancient Greek name Leimonion, supposedly from leimon, "a marsh" (ref. genus Limonium). The species californicum obviously references where it is found.
Many times the true native Limonium is confused with Perez’s Sea Lavender (Limonium perezii) or Algerian Sea Lavender (Limonium ramosissimum). Often I have found these two substitutes planted in restoration sites under the native misnomer. This is unfortunate because it is not difficult to differentiate between the native and non-native plants and with the many flowers on the stem I am assuming many seeds will be produced from these invaders.
I chose to present this salt marsh plant first because I walked out of my house the other day to water my potted plants and found the flowering stalk of one of my Marsh Rosemary’s creeping out of its basal leaf structure. The leaves are a very subtle green, kind of like cooked peas, and they are uniquely broad – a leaf characteristic not usually found in a salt marsh. However, a trait similar to its neighbors is the plant’s ability to remove the dangerous, water hoarding salt crystals abundant in the habitat. After absorbing the salt through its roots, Limonium will excrete the mineral from its leaves producing a white film on the dry leaves- and I promise it’s salty. But most exciting, now at least, is the fact that their distinctive lavender flowers are about to bloom. The foot-long or so stalk is growing, reaching for the sun, away from the competitive canopy close to the marsh floor. It will, starting in the next few weeks and going until December, blossom a cascading violet inflorescence (botanist term for a whole bunch of flowers).
I have not read this anywhere, or if I did I forget, but I have seen the rare Wandering Skipper on a Limonium flower, so I would venture to guess that the plant provides some nectar for the tiny butterfly. It seems appropriate considering the insect is coming out of the larval stage (where another salt-marsh plant, Salt Grass, provides necessary resources) and looking for food.
After noticing my plant beginning its sexual phase, I walked down to the Colorado Lagoon where I work and saw a little field of them stretching out toward the clouds. I am looking forward to my next Los Cerritos visit to see how the Sea Lavenders in that pristine habitat are displaying themselves.
The photo on top is from calflora.net but you can also find photos of this plant, and many other plants, at: calflora.org and laspilitas.com.
Taylor
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