AMMOPHILA arenaria

Herbaceous perennial plant which spreads spontaneously. It is native to the Mediterranean coastlines and the Atlantic ones in France, Spain and Portugal. Over the time it has been introduced in other continents and now it lives in the coastal dunes all over the world. It has thin and linear leaves that are also rigid, strong and grey-green colored. These are characterized by a pungent apex and create wide and thick irregular bushes of variable height up to a maximum of 1 m. Between May and August, a lot of spike-shaped inflorescences develop in the tuft and in autumn they produce fruits: these will sprout again next spring. It’s highly important its "symbiotic relationship" with the dune hosting it; the plant slows the wind with its crown, thereby facilitating the sand depot and the following growth of the dune: a precious vicious circle, responsible for the coastal dunes heritage preservation.

This plant needs very sunny positions as well as poor and well drained soils; furthermore, it tolerates well saltiness. For these reasons this gramineae, with sisters of the same family, becomes the best choice, and sometimes the only one in case of extreme green areas and with low maintenance requirements, anyway keeping a great ornamental importance. Its important to remember its role of 'ally' in the protection and recovery of delicate environmental ecosystems such as the coastal ones which are often threatened by human antagonism.