Carried by 5 nurseries
View Availability at NurseryData provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria
View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora
The perennial herb Frankenia salina, often called Alkali Heath or Alkali Seaheath, is a member of the Frankeniaceae family that is native to California. It is occasionally found in Nevada and Mexico. In California it is found along the coast, in the mountain, central valley, and other wetland locations, including salt marsh and alkali flats. Its common name refers to its preference for saline or alkaline soils. It is a squat flowering bush that forms a twiggy thicket near beaches and estuaries. The leaves are tiny and somewhat succulent. It has the ability to excrete salt as an adaptation for living in saline habitats. The flowers are white, pink or fuchsia in color. It spreads by rhizome and can cover large areas but remains very low. It is not a common garden plant but can be a useful ground cover at the edges of ponds or streams, in bioswales, or in areas of saline soil.
Perennial herb
1 ft Tall
Spreading
Moderate
Summer Semi-deciduous
Pink, White
Spring, Summer, Fall
Groundcover
Full Sun
Very Low
Keep moist
Moderate
Tolerates cold to 25° F
Fast, Medium, Slow, Standing
Prefers sand or sandstone.
Soil PH: 6.0 - 9.0
For propagating by seed: No treatment. (Emery and Frey 1971).
8*, 10, 11*, 12, 13, 14*, 15, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*
Salt marshes, alkali flats
Coastal Salt Marsh, Coastal Strand, Wetland-Riparian
Use with other wetland plants such as Salt Grass (Distichlis spicata), Yellow Monkeyflower (Erythranthe guttata), Sedge (Carex spp.), Rush (Juncus spp.), Willow (Salix spp.), and Alkali Weed (Cressa truxillensis)
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Likely
-
Confirmed
Red-belted Bumble Bee
Bombus rufocinctus
Common Lagoon Fly
Eristalinus aeneus
Wandering Skipper
Panoquina errans
Short Sun-digger
Anthophora curta
Mint
Mentha