The sand is an inhospitable substrate for plant growth.
It is
- dry
- salty
- lacking in plant nutrients
- unstable
Only highly specialised plants which have evolved
strategies to grow in such an inhospitable environment are able to colonise.
These are the primary colonisers of the sand dune succession and
are restricted in their distribution to this very stressful type of habitat.
Examples are:
- Sea Rocket Cakile maritima
- Prickly Saltwort Salsola kali
These annual plants may form miniature sand dunes
as sand accumulates around the plant body and the plant is able to grow
upwards a little through the accumulating sand. Alternatively, they may
be washed away by the waves brought in on the next high tide.
