California Invasive Plant Council

Limonium ramosissimum

Common names: Algerian sea lavender

Limonium ramosissimum (Algerian sea lavender) is a perennial plant (family Plumbaginaceae) that can be found in the San Francisco Bay, Carpinteria marsh (Santa Barbara County), Orange County, and San Diego County. Historic records include Riverside County as well. It is an ornamental escape that is native to the coastal Mediterranean and can grow in coastal marshes as well as inland wetlands.
This species reproduces by seeds that can retain the ability to germinate after two weeks floating in salt water. It was previously listed as the “provinciale” in our Inventory but its subspecific identity is unclear and many collections recorded across California are not associated with subspecies. In both the SF Bay and southern California, Limonium ramosissimum co-occurs with another closely related invasive sea lavender, Limonium duriusculum.

Cal-IPC Rating: Limited?

Explanation of Cal-IPC ratings

• High – These species have severe ecological impacts on physical processes, plant and animal communities, and vegetation structure. Their reproductive biology and other attributes are conducive to moderate to high rates of dispersal and establishment. Most are widely distributed ecologically.
• Moderate – These species have substantial and apparent-but generally not severe-ecological impacts on physical processes, plant and animal communities, and vegetation structure. Their reproductive biology and other attributes are conducive to moderate to high rates of dispersal, though establishment is generally dependent upon ecological disturbance. Ecological amplitude and distribution may range from limited to widespread.
• Limited – These species are invasive but their ecological impacts are minor on a statewide level or there was not enough information to justify a higher score. Their reproductive biology and other attributes result in low to moderate rates of invasiveness. Ecological amplitude and distribution are generally limited, but these species may be locally persistent and problematic.
• Alert – An Alert is listed on species with High or Moderate impacts that have limited distribution in California, but may have the potential to spread much further.
• Watch – These species have been assessed as posing a high risk of becoming invasive in the future in California.

CDFA Rating: B?

Explanation of CDFA ratings

• A – A pest of known economic or environmental detriment and is either not known to be established in California or it is present in a limited distribution that allows for the possibility of eradication or successful containment.
• B – A pest of known economic or environmental detriment and, if present in California, it is of limited distribution.
• C – A pest of known economic or environmental detriment and, if present in California, it is usually widespread.
• D – An organism known to be of little or no economic or environmental detriment, to have an extremely low likelihood of weediness, or is known to be a parasite or predator.
• Q – An organism or disorder suspected to be of economic or environmental detriment, but whose status is uncertain because of incomplete identification or inadequate information.
• * – An asterisk next to the rating indicates that a plant is included in the CCR Section 4500 list of California State Noxious Weeds.
• -* – This plant is included in the CCR Section 4500 list of California State Noxious Weeds, but is otherwise not rated.

More details

Assessment(s)

Plant Assessment Form - Information gathered by Cal-IPC on the impacts, rate of spread, and distribution of invasive plants in California. Does not include management information.

Species ID Card

Invasive Species ID Card - To support field identification of early detection species, Cal-IPC has designed a set of Species ID cards that can be downloaded, printed double-sided, and trimmed to size.

Weed Management Notes

Cal-IPC Newsletter Articles

• Persistence: Marin Audubon's work to keep invasive sea lavender from invading Marin County tidal wetlands. Stalker, Jude. Vol 30, Issue 3
• Wildland Weed News. Cal-IPC. Vol 25, Issue 2
• Wildland Weed News. Cal-IPC. Vol 25, Issue 1
• Wildland Weed News. Cal-IPC. Vol 24, Issue 3
• Protecting San Francisco Bay salt marshes from invasive sea lavender. Whitcomb, Amy. Vol 24, Issue 3
• Protecting San Diego wetlands. Cal-IPC. Vol 24, Issue 1
• Progress removing Algerian sea lavender. Perlmutter, Mike. Vol 21, Issue 3
• Staying “on label” in tidal waters. Thomson, David. Vol 21, Issue 3

Cal-IPC Symposium Presentations

Presentations are linked where available. Where a presentation is not available, find more information by reading the abstract in the Cal-IPC Symposia Archive.

• Big Canyon Habitat Restoration and Resiliency Project Phase 3: CEQA exempt through CDFW’s SERP process. Arenas, Alys (2023)
• Limonium ramosissimum distribution models and effective treatment types in the Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve of Orange County, California. Crook, Elizabeth; Mudge, Isabella; Spear, Hannah; Banuelas, David; Arenas, Alys; Swanson, Amanda (2020)
• California Update. Johnson, Doug (2020)
• Striking a balance: Selecting strategy levels for a startup invasive Limonium project based on eradication stage and budget. Kerr, Drew (2019)
• Managing invasive sea lavender at Bothin Marsh. Manzanillo, Tatiana (2018)
• Assessing spatio-temporal changes of invasive Limonium ramosissimum in San Francisco Bay wetlands. Kalchmayr, Kerstin (2017)
• Controlling Algerian sea lavender in San Francisco Estuary tidal marshes. Kerr, Drew (2017)
• Controlling Algerian sea lavender and assessing marsh vulnerability. Kerr, Drew (2016)
• New and expanding weeds in California. Kelch, Dean (2012)
• Eradicating Algerian sea lavender (Limonium ramosissimum) from San Francisco Bay wetlands. Perlmutter, Mike; Archbald, Gavin; Boyer, Kathy (2011)
• Evaluating the potential for spread of an invasive forb, Limonium ramosissimum, in San Francisco Bay salt marshes. Archbald, Gavin; Boyer, Katharyn (2009)

Other Limonium ramosissimum Information

• CalPhotos - Images of plants taken mostly in California.
• Calflora - Distribution map and records of this species in California.
• CalWeedMapper - Distribution map of this species in California with ability to determine regional priorities.
• EDDMapS - Distribution of this species in North America.
• Jepson Interchange - Information on this plant's taxonomy, biology, and distribution from UC Berkeley's Jepson Herbarium.
• USDA PLANTS Database - Information on identification and distribution, with links to websites in individual states.

Additional photos