Dead wood and sea milkwort

This little plant is sea-milkwort Glaux maritima, which lives in sand and shingle near to the high tide mark. At the end of summer it dies back to its runners and roots and spends the winter buried under the sand. Now that the days are getting longer and warmer (slightly) it is leaping back into action.

Despite its tender appearance the milkwort is a tough little devil, living in the most challenging of habitats and able to shrug off the ravages of salt spray and occasional immersion in salt water as well of deluges of fresh water, lack of shade and baking heat from the sun, freezing winter temperatures, an unstable substrate and exposure to strong winds. A real survivor!

#afternoon #saturday #sand #april #survival #milkwort #salinity