Flowering Plants

When I think about flowering plants on the exposed outer coast’s intertidal ecosystems, I’m probably thinking about surfgrass, Phyllospadix, and eelgrass, Zostera. Dunegrass, Leymus, and beachgrass, Ammophila, shape the dunes, so I include them. I can’t help but feature other worthy flowering plants that pioneer down onto the backshore, like sea rocket, Cakile, and where dunes are absent, the willows, Salix. I’m fascinated by any plant that will creep down far enough to get an occasional salty soaking.

Unless mentioned in the caption, all the plants on this page are from the exposed northern Oregon coast. The organization and common names are my choices. I refer to the USDA PLANTS Database and the University and Jepson Herbaria for scientific names and distribution records. There’s always a chance I’ll make an identification error. Let me know if you see one.

Zostera marina, eelgrass

Eelgrass is at home in the bays and estuaries. Its appearance on surf-swept beaches is as wrack. Click here for a short video illustrating the strong connection between beach hoppers and drift eelgrass. Eelgrass is featured in Eelgrass in the Wrack and Beach Hoppers Rejoice Over Drift Macrophytes.

Gazing down the beach at a long lineup of drifted clumps of eelgrass — Beach hoppers rejoice – a drift line dominated by eelgrass, *Zostera*

Intimate view of fresh green blades washed up on the beach — Beach hoppers rejoice – a drift line dominated by eelgrass, *Zostera*

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Phyllospadix, surfgrass

I’ve always thought the common, abundant surfgrass shown below is P. scouleri, but there are alternatives. Surfgrass is at home on rocks, where it’s exposed by the lowest tides. Like eelgrass, it is sometimes prevalent in the drift line. I featured surfgrass in Finding yourself in the Infralittoral Fringe, and Comparative Photos Show Rocky Intertidal Changes Between 2013 and 2016.

Seascape with surfgrass on a foreground rock — Surfgrass, *Phyllospadix*, on a rock jutting out of the sand

Big rock jutting out of the sand, with surfgrass on its lower regions — Surfgrass, *Phyllospadix*, on a rock jutting out of the sand

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Leymus, dunegrass

Dunegrass used to be the dominant grass on dunes. Now it’s hard to find in the near-monoculture of Ammophila. Wide grayish-green leaves set Leymus apart from Ammophila, which has narrow yellowish-green leaves. Click here to view a short video comparing Leymus and Ammophila on a northern Oregon foredune. Leymus is featured in Dunegrass Finds Breathing Room on the Backshore.

*Leymus* is abundant in the darker green band at the base of the foredune

A seascape, looking along the base the foredune. Leymus in the foreground. — *Leymus* is abundant in the darker green band at the base of the foredune

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Ammophila, beachgrass

Look for near-monocultures of Ammophila on almost any dune trail. Ammophila appears in Beachgrass Lights Up the Foredune and Stability and Change on the Foredune.

Peering north along the foredune — Beachgrass, *Ammophila*

Sandy path across the foredune, view out to sea — Beachgrass, *Ammophila*

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Gaultheria shallon, salal

Patch of salal at beach level in the foreground; beach and surf sone in the distance

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Dock, Rumex– Rumex are kind of a mystery to me. I’ve encountered some real beach pioneers, and this makes sense, most Rumex they have broad habitat tolerances. I’ve detected a couple on beach sand. They’re both shown below.

In flower on Beach sand — Willow Dock, Rumex salicifolius can tolerate some salt

Rumex, pioneering onto intertidal sand | Probably Rumex maritimus , golden dock, seaside dock

In flower, among the cobbles just above the sand

Rumex maritimus | You can see why they call it seaside dock

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Sea rocket, Cakile edentula– By summer, look for flowering sea rocket wherever there is a well developed backshore.

P1080263_lr — Sea rocket, *Cakile endentula*; in the background, the foredune with beachgrass, *Ammophila arenaria*

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Wild radish, Raphanus

On the sand, among cobbles and bigger rocks — By September, this radish, possibly *Raphanus raphanistrum*, was in full bloom

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Honckenya peploides, sea purslane, seabeach sandwort

At the interface | *Honckenya peploides* walks a fine line as it creeps out of the forest onto beach sand

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Potentilla anserina, Pacific potentilla, silverweed

View from the cobbles, out across the reef, to the surf zone — *Potentilla anserina*, foreground, can handle salt spray

*Potentilla anserina*, foreground, can handle salt spray

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Sea-watch, Angelica lucida– Sea watch will get right down on the beach, especially where forested bluffs extend straight to the shore.

Growing right down on the beach, surf in the background

Sea-watch is aptly named

Angelica lucida foliage

Angelica lucida is sometimes called seacoast angelica

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Seaside Plantain, Plantago maritima

44159678372_57c0bd41a0_h — *Plantago maritima*, pioneering onto a wrack line rubble of cobbles and sea shells

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A pioneering dandelion

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Coast mugwort, Artemisia suksdorfii

Leaning out from the rubble at the base of the mountain.

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Willow, Salix – I think this one is Hooker’s willow, S. hookeriana, also known as coastal or dune willow. Wherever the forest drops right down to the beach, especially where there are seeps, Salix can push down toward the intertidal as far as any forest plant – so low that they expose themselves to damage by winter’s high surf. Salix was featured in Sign of the Season.