Seaside Heliotrope, Heliotropium curassavicum

About Seaside Heliotrope (Heliotropium curassavicum) 8 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Seaside heliotrope (Heliotropium curassavicum) is an attractive flowering perennial that's also called salt heliotrope. Seaside heliotrope grows throughout the US. In California, it is commonly found near water sources, in alkaline or saline soils. This plant has a creeping growth habit, although it can grow to around 1.5 ft in height. The leaves and stems are thick and fleshy. The small, bell-shaped flowers grow along curved stalks and are white with yellow centers that turn purple as they mature.

Seaside heliotrope is not generally known for its fragrance, unlike other varieties of heliotrope which are famous for their sweet, almond-like scent. But the blooms are attractive to bees and butterflies, making it a worthwhile addition to the pollinator garden. It grows in full or partial sun in a variety of soil types and does best with occasional supplemental water. It can also be a container garden plant.

“Salt Heliotrope.” Nature Collective, 16 Apr. 2019, naturecollective.org/plant-guide/details/salt-heliotrope/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2024. “Heliotropium Curassavicum.” Linda Vista Native Plants, www.lindavistanatives.com/product/heliotropium-curassavicum/. ‌ ‌

Plant Description

Plant Type

Perennial herb

Size

1.2 - 1.6 ft tall

Form

Mounding

Growth Rate

Moderate

Flower Color

Blue, Lavender, White

Flowering Season

Spring

Wildlife Supported

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 1 confirmed

, 1 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Eight-barred Lygropia Moth Lygropia octonalisLygropia octonalis

Celery Leaftier Udea rubigalisUdea rubigalis

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun

Moisture

Moderate - High

Nurseries

Carried by 8

Soil Description

Grows in many soil types, often in saline or alkaline soils.

Natural Setting

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 2.3" - 57.8", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 2.58", Coldest Month: 29.4" - 61.4", Hottest Month: 57.6" - 90.6", Humidity: 0.37" - 48.82", Elevation: -232" - 7497"

Alternative Names

Common Names: Monkey Tail, Quail Plant, Salt Heliotrope

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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Seaside Heliotrope

Heliotropium curassavicum

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Seaside HeliotropeHeliotropium curassavicum

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Seaside Heliotrope

Heliotropium curassavicum