• Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Roger Hammer, Dade Chapter FNPS

Batis maritima

saltwort, turtleweed

Nomenclature

Common Name:

saltwort, turtleweed

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Batis maritima

Family:

Bataceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

shrub

Size:

2-4 ft tall by much broader than tall ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white,green

Fruit Color:

NA

Phenology:

evergreen

Noted For:

Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Coastal stabilization is salt-flat areas. Can be used ornamentally as a groundcover or bush-like mound in coastal areas.

Considerations:

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Availability:

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Propagation:

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Light:

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Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Usually moist, occasional inundation -to- Usually moist, occasional inundation

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salt.

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand

Soil pH:

Calcareous (high pH)

Suitable to Grow In:

Ecology

Wildlife:

Butterflies, Caterpillars

Larval host and adult nectar plant for the great Southern white ( Ascia monuste ) and Eastern pigmy blue ( Brephidium isophthalma ) butterflies (Florida Cooperative Extension Service 2002)

Native Habitats:

Saltmarshes and flats.

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

It can be eaten as a salty salad herb. Ashes from this plant were once used in soap -- however it was apparently toxic if used in abundance. Used to treat a variety of skin conditions.

General Comments: