Overview
Cakile edentula is a fleshy, branching annual in the mustard family that grows 4-16 inches (10-40 cm) tall in a low, spreading mound on coastal sand. The thick, succulent leaves are 1-3 inches (2.5-8 cm) long, spoon-shaped to lobed with wavy or shallowly toothed margins, and store water against salt and drought. Small four-petaled flowers about 0.25 inch (6 mm) across, pale lilac to white, open in clusters at the branch tips through summer and fall. Each flower forms a jointed seedpod with two segments: the upper part breaks off and floats on seawater to colonize new shores, while the lower stays attached to the parent. C. edentula grows on upper beaches, foredunes, and the drift line along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Great Lakes coasts of North America. It tolerates salt spray, blowing sand, and brief saltwater flooding that kill most plants, but it is short-lived and dies with the first hard frost. The plant helps trap sand and start dune building, though it can become weedy where it spreads inland. It completes its life cycle in a single season.
Native Range
Cakile edentula is native to the Atlantic and Great Lakes coasts of North America and has spread to the Pacific coast and other shores. It grows on sandy beaches, foredunes, and the drift line just above high tide.Suggested Uses
Cakile edentula is used in dune restoration and coastal stabilization, where its roots and low mounds help trap drifting sand. It is among the first plants to colonize bare beach above the tide line. It is rarely planted as an ornamental and is grown mainly for its role in early dune building.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height4" - 1'4"
Width/Spread1' - 2'
Bloom Information
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
pale lilac to whiteFoliage 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
Water & Climate
Water Needs
Drought Tolerance
Drought tolerant when established
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Cakile edentula grows in full sun and loose, fast-draining sand, the harsh open beach where little else survives. It needs salt-laden, low-nutrient sand and tolerates spray, drought, and shifting ground, but it rots in rich, moist garden soil. Seed sprouts on bare sand in spring, and the plant grows fast, flowers, and sets seed within one season. It needs no care and no added water in its coastal setting. The fleshy stems and leaves break down quickly after frost. It is rarely cultivated and is grown, where it is, only in dune restoration.Pruning
No pruning is needed. Plants are annual and die off after seeding, so old growth can simply be cleared once it browns. Cutting before the pods ripen limits self-seeding where the plant is not wanted.✓ Toxicity
Non-toxicPlanting Guide
Planting Methods & Timing
Planting Method
direct sow
Direct Sow Timing
spring
Days to Maturity
60–100 days
Plant Spacing
12 inches