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Sea Spurge

©Waen

Sea spurge

As its name suggests, Sea spurge is found at the coast. It is an attractive plant that displays cup-shaped, greeny-yellow flowers and fleshy, grey-green leaves.

Scientific name

Euphorbia paralias

When to see

January to December

Species information

Statistics

Height: up to 60cm
Common.

About

Sea spurge is a common plant of sand dunes and coastal areas, especially in Southern England and Wales. It flowers between June and October and has fleshy leaves that help the plant to retain water in the arid conditions in which it thrives. It is a popular plant among gardeners in coastal areas when creating salt-tolerant gardens and rockeries.

How to identify

The greeny-yellow flowers of Sea spurge have no petals or sepals, but are held in cup-shaped bracts. The upright stems carry closely packed, rounded, fleshy, grey-green leaves.

Distribution

Scattered distribution around the UK's coast, scarcer in Scotland.

Did you know?

As with other spurges, Sea spurge produces a milky white sap which is toxic; in other parts of the world, these saps have been used to tip poisoned arrows.