Sea Rocket
Cakile maritima
Tap image to enlarge · Wikimedia Commons
Overview
Sea Rocket is one of the toughest plants on the coast — it grows on the strandline itself, among the rotting seaweed and debris thrown up by storms. A small, fleshy-leaved annual with lilac-pink flowers, it's adapted to salt, burial, drought and being regularly inundated by high tides. It completes its whole life cycle in one summer. The rocket-shaped seed pods help identify it.
At a Glance
| Order | Brassicales |
| Family | Brassicaceae |
| Habitat | Strandline · Fore-dune · Bare sand |
| UK population | Common on sandy beaches around the UK coast |
| Sefton Coast | Annual on the strandline at Formby and Ainsdale in variable numbers |
| Conservation | UK Green List |
Where to See It
Strandline and bare sand at the very top of the beach at Formby and Ainsdale.
Identification
Small, fleshy annual. Oval, lobed, glossy leaves. Lilac-pink four-petalled flowers. Distinctive rocket-shaped seed pods.
Viewing & Photography Tips
Look at the very top of the beach near the high tide line in July and August. It grows where almost nothing else can.
Conservation Status
UK Green List
This species has a favourable conservation status in the UK and remains an important part of Sefton Coast biodiversity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can Sea Rocket survive on the strandline?
Sea Rocket is adapted to some of the harshest conditions on the British coast — salt spray, periodic flooding by high tides, burial by sand, drought and exposure. Its fleshy leaves store water; the seed pods are buoyant and dispersed by the sea; and it completes its entire life cycle as a summer annual, avoiding the harshest winter conditions.
Related Species
Plan your visit to the Sefton Coast
Marshside RSPB, Formby pinewoods, Ainsdale NNR — practical guides to getting there, what to bring, and the best spots for each season.