Florida Forest Plants

Sea blite (Suaeda linearis)

Sea blite is an annual herb found in the beaches, mangroves, and salt marshes of Florida, being most common in the southern part of the states. It is found in coastal plains from southern Canada, south to Florida and west to Texas.

Native Americans in Florida used sea blite to add flavoring to foods and they ground the seeds into a flour to make bread. Both Native Americans and colonial settlers chewed the roots of the plant as a cure for diarrhea. Leaves were used to treat and bind wounds. Young leaves and stem tips are still used as culinary herbs today.		  

Stems and leaves

 Identifying Characteristics
Size/Form:
 Sea blite is a straggly, herbaceous annual with a waxy appearance. It may be reclining or erect, from 1' to 3' tall, and heavily branched.
Leaves:
 The leaves are simple, alternate, ½" to 2" long, and linear to elliptical. They are dark green and fleshy with a smooth, waxy surface and entire margins. Leaves generally lack a stem and are directly attached to the stem.
Flowers:
 The flowers are tiny, whitish, button-like blooms that appear from July to October.
Fruit:
 The fruit is a round sac containing many, glossy, black seeds.
Stem:
 Sea blite has a succulent, somewhat woody stem that is pale green to almost white.
Habitat:
 This plant requires a salty environment and grows saltwater marshes, mangroves, and along beaches and dunes.


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