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Coastal searocket Cakile lanceolata
Brassicaceae
Copyright by: Roger L. Hammer
General Landscape Uses:
An ephemeral element of beach dunes. Not recommended for general landscape use.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts and occasionally by native plant nurseries.
Description: Small annual herb.
Dimensions: Typically 1-3 feet in height. Often about as broad as tall.
Growth Rate: Fast.
Range:
Monroe County Keys north along eastern coast to St. John County and along the western coast to southern Texas; the West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America.
Soils: Moist, well-drained sandy soils, without a humusy top layer.
Nutritional Requirements: Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils.
Salt Water Tolerance: Moderately low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water, but tolerates short term inunation by salt water from storm surge with minimal damage.
Salt Wind Tolerance: Pioneer; grows in unconsolidated substrate in direct salt wind and spray.
Drought Tolerance: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements: Full sun.
Flower Color: White.
Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy.
Flowering Season: Winter-summer.
Fruit: Inconspicuous indehiscent fruit.
Wildlife and Ecology:Larval host plant for great southern white (Ascia monuste) butterflies. Nectar plant for Miami blue (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri) butterflies.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed and cuttings.
Comments: See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's Flower Friday page.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of ZIP codes with habitat recommendations from the Monroe County Keys north to Martin and Charlotte counties.
