Arrowgrass
Triglochin maritimum
Salt marshes are created by the first plants that establish themselves on high points on the tideflat. One of first to take hold is arrowgrass. As these colonizers begin to grow, they slow down currents and trap sediment, building the marsh up and out toward the bay.
Habitat: Salt marsh
Bush Lupine
Lupinus arboreus
Bush lupine, introduced from northern California, has bacteria in its roots that convert nitrogen from the atmosphere to a form the plant can use. A member of the pea family, lupine does well in the low-nitrogen soils of the Pacific Northwest.
Habitat: Upland
Foxglove
Digitalis purpurea
While spring and summer are the best times to see flowers along the estuary, many of the perennial plants are easily identified throughout the year.
Habitat: Upland
Picklewood
Salicornia virginica
Salt marshes are created by the first plants that establish themselves on high points on the tideflat. Among the first to take hold are pickleweed. As these colonizers begin to grow, they slow down currents and trap sediment, building the marsh up and out toward the bay.
Habitat: Salt marsh
Scotch Broom
Cytisus scoparius
Introductions such as European beach grass were planted to stabilize dunes or shifting sand. Others, like Scotch broom, were planted as ornamentals. Nonnative plants often out-compete and displace the native ones in an area, a process that can eventually lead to a local decrease in species diversity.
Habitat: Upland
Willow
Salix hookeriana
Like most upland plants, willow cannot tolerate soil that is high in salt. The bark of this tree was chewed by Native Americans to relieve headaches. Salicylic acid, a forerunner of aspirin, is found in willow leaves and bark.
Habitat: Upland
Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Yarrow can be seen blooming from June through September. Native Americans used this aromatic plant as tea and used strong solutions of yarrow medicinally.
Habitat: Upland