About Armeria maritima (Mill.) Willd.
Armeria maritima, commonly known as thrift, sea thrift, or sea pink, is a species of flowering plant in the family Plumbaginaceae. It is a compact evergreen perennial that grows in low clumps and produces long stems holding globes of bright pink flowers; purple, white, or red flowers may also occur in some cases. It is a popular garden flower, distributed worldwide for use as both a garden ornamental and a cut flower, and grows well in xeriscapes and rock gardens. The Latin specific epithet maritima translates to "pertaining to the sea or coastal". In its broad sense, Armeria maritima has a circumpolar distribution, and can be found growing wild in coastal areas across the Northern Hemisphere. It is able to grow in dry, sandy, saline conditions, including coastal cliffs, grassland, salt marshes, salted roadsides, and inland on mountain rocks. It is a common sight in British salt marshes, where it flowers from April to October. Armeria maritima has high copper tolerance, and can grow in soils with copper concentrations up to 6400 mg/kg. One proposed mechanism for this tolerance is that very little copper is transported up into the plant's shoot, and copper is excreted from the plant via decaying leaves. Some aspects of this species' physiology and metabolism have been studied, with particular note made of how its metabolism changes when atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations are elevated. Pollination of Armeria maritima is carried out by a range of insects, including bees and Lepidoptera. It is a documented host plant for the pathogenic fungus Phoma herbarum. The cultivar 'Vindictive' has been awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
