Borrichia frutescens
sea ox-eye
Attracts PollinatorsAttracts ButterfliesDeer ResistantDrought TolerantContainer Friendly
Native to North America
Overview
Borrichia frutescens is a low, woody-based subshrub in the daisy family, growing 1-3 ft (30-90 cm) tall and spreading by rhizomes into broad colonies. The opposite leaves are fleshy and gray-green, 1-3 in (2.5-7.5 cm) long, oval to spoon-shaped, and covered in short silvery hairs that help the plant shed salt and conserve water. From spring through fall it bears yellow daisy-like flower heads about 1 in (2.5 cm) across, each with yellow rays around a darker disk and stiff, spine-tipped bracts beneath. The heads are held singly on short stalks above the foliage. It grows in the upper zones of salt marshes, on tidal flats, and along brackish shorelines, tolerating salt spray, periodic flooding, and saline soils that few other plants endure. The rhizomes knit the soil and help stabilize marsh edges. In garden settings the spreading habit can outgrow its space, and the spiny flower bracts make handling uncomfortable. Bees and butterflies visit the flowers, and the dense colonies shelter small marsh animals.
Native Range
Borrichia frutescens is native to the coastal southeastern United States and the Gulf of Mexico, from Virginia south through Florida and west to Texas, and into the Caribbean and eastern Mexico. It grows in salt and brackish marshes along the coast.Suggested Uses
Used in coastal and salt-tolerant plantings, rain gardens, and shoreline restoration, spaced 18-24 in (45-60 cm) apart. Planted to stabilize brackish marsh edges and tidal banks. Grown in pollinator gardens in saline coastal sites.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height1' - 3'
Width/Spread2' - 4'
Reaches mature size in approximately 2 years
Colors
Bloom Information
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
gray-greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grows in full sun on sandy, saline, or brackish soils, including wet, poorly drained ground that few plants tolerate. It withstands salt spray, tidal flooding, and drought once established. Soil pH from 6.5 to 8.0 is acceptable. Water needs are low in coastal settings, while inland plantings need occasional irrigation in dry spells. Rich garden soil and fresh water encourage rampant spread by rhizome. The plant copes with a wide range of moisture from wet to dry.Pruning
Cut back the colony in late winter to remove old stems and tidy the planting before new growth. Rhizomes can be edged or divided in spring to limit the spread. Spent flower heads can be sheared to keep the planting neat.Pruning Schedule
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
winter
Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 3 gallons