Common sea lavender

Common sea lavender is a salt-loving plant that grows on so-called salt marshes (areas that are under the influence of tides and are occasionally flooded with seawater). From the end of July until October it turns lilac-purple. On the underside of the leaf salt glands can be found that remove excess salt from the plant. There are about six hundred salt glands per square centimetre. When the sun shines on the leaves, these salt crystals sometimes sparkle. Sea lavender is quite rare in Flanders. The largest population is found in the Zwin nature reserve in Knokke, where the species is also known as ‘Zwinneblomme’. Other important growing places are the estuary of the Yser river in Nieuwpoort, the reserve of the bay of Knokke-Heist and the salt marsh of Doel near Antwerp.