Armeria maritima ~ Thrift

I was startled to find Armeria maritima, a plant that I first knew garden plant on the coastal bluffs in Central and Northern California. Then I checked my books and found that I had been using a California native plant and had not known it. Armeria maritima is a great plant to use near the coast. Armeria maritima will bloom repeatedly from Spring through Fall if the spent flowers are removed. The clusters of pink flowers are held on 3-4" stalks above the green foliage. Armeria maritima obviously handles the salt spray well. It can also take a lot of drought, particularly near the coast. Armeria maritima requires a little summer water when facing inland heat. Thrift will eventually reach a height of 3" with flowers going up to 6" forming a clump that spreads to about 12" width. I have seen Armeria maritima on plant lists from California to Iceland. It requires a hardy disposition to take a range that diverse. Armeria maritima attracts the Umber Skipper Butterfly