Leaf
Liliane Roubaudi, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Thrift
Armeria maritima
Also known as: Sea thrift, Sea pink
Family: Plumbaginaceae
10 to 30 cm tall
Rock gardens, borders, gardens, poor well-drained soils
Flowering: May – August
Full sun
Hardy to -25°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Its compact, grass-like cushion is traditionally used as garden edging, hence its French name, meaning "Spanish lawn".
🍃 Leaves
Evergreen, narrow, linear, in a dense basal tuft
🌸 Flowers
Small bright pink pompons borne on slender upright stems
🍎 Fruits
Small dry achenes
🪵 Bark
Perennial forming a dense tuft, with narrow leaves and a leafless flower stem.
🗺️ Distribution
Coasts of Europe (Atlantic, Channel) and mountains; common on sea cliffs and coastal turf, rarer in the mountains.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Nectar-rich pink pompons visited by bees and butterflies on coastal sites.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Borders, rock gardens, seaside gardens; evergreen cushions suited to poor, windy soils.
🌿 Other Plumbaginaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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