Lysimachia maritima
sea milkwort
Northern Hemisphere coasts of Europe, northern Asia, and North America
Attracts Pollinators
Native to North America
Overview
Lysimachia maritima is a low, fleshy-leaved perennial of coastal salt marshes, formerly placed in the genus Glaux spp. and now in the primrose family. It forms creeping mats 2-12 inches (5-30 cm) tall from slender rhizomes, the stems lying along the ground before turning up at the tips. The small leaves are succulent, oval to linear, 0.2-0.5 inches (4-12 mm) long, arranged in opposite pairs and tinged grey-green or reddish in exposed sites. From June to August, single stalkless flowers sit in the leaf axils, each 0.1-0.2 inches (3-6 mm) across with five pink to white petal-like sepals and no true petals. The plant has a salt-tolerant, succulent physiology that lets it grow in the upper and middle zones of salt marshes, on brackish banks, and in coastal grassland flushed by seawater. It spreads steadily by rhizome to colonise bare, saline mud. Outside saline or brackish conditions it is short-lived and is quickly outcompeted by larger marsh plants on richer ground.
Native Range
Native to coastal regions across the Northern Hemisphere, including Europe, northern Asia, and North America. Around Britain and Ireland it is frequent on salt marshes and brackish shores.Suggested Uses
Grown in coastal and salt-marsh restoration, brackish-water margins, and specialist seaside plantings. It binds bare saline mud as a low ground cover. The plant suits naturalistic wetland schemes where salinity excludes most species.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height2" - 1'
Width/Spread1' - 2'
Bloom Information
Flowers open from June to August, tucked individually into the axils of the upper leaves. Each small flower has coloured sepals rather than petals and is visited by small bees and flies. Flowering is sparse and easily overlooked among the foliage.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
grey-greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-10 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