Sandy Signs of Spring

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It’s starting to green up in the woods and in the meadows but also at the beach. It always amazes me to see the amount of plants that sprout in the sand. It’s a good thing because it’s the roots of all those wonderful green things that keeps the sand on the beach!

Beach grass can be found on dunes and on the upper parts of the beach that don’t get inundated by the tides. It has long, tenacious roots, often going six feet or more down through the sand to reach water. This is what stabilizes the dunes and helps the plants stay in place even in the toughest of storms.

Rosa rugosa, also known commonly as our beach rose, is another feisty plant that weathers all sorts of wind and rain, erosion and tidal sweeps. It is just starting to sprout leaves and it won’t be too long before it flowers.

Beach peas are another plant we see all over our beaches. It starts with these funny little purple sprouts but don’t let them fool you. Beach peas are strong and supple plants that vine along the sand producing purply-pink blossoms before the peas form. There is some debate as to whether these peas are good to eat or even edible but the birds and animals sure love them.
You will find many other plants starting to green up at our local beaches, including the ubiquitous seaside goldenrod and beach heathers.

I love seeing these plants push through the sand, maybe even more than the woodland ephemerals. These plants earn their keep by the seaside and I respect that about them, even the homeliest among them.

Do you have a favorite beach flower or plant?

4 thoughts on “Sandy Signs of Spring”

  1. I like the dusty miller, a yellow heather type plant (you probably know the name), the cute reindeer moss? with the red spots and a type of pearly everlasting. Actually on the back side of the dune but growing in sand.

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