Buckwheat family Sanibel Island, FL Dec. 15, 2009 Seagrapes are edible when ripe and can be made into jam and jelly. The thick, leathery leaves allow the trees to live in the adverse conditions of the beach and near mangrove swamps.
The sand dunes along the California beaches are important barriers. Plants are essential for dunes, without them the dunes would blow away in the constant coastal breezes or wash away during strong storms. It is crucial for people to stay off the dunes to protect the plants, hundreds of footsteps will trample the roots and kill them. No plants, no dunes!
This was one of my favorite photos of the trip! I was literally walking up to my waist in wildflowers at this stop along Hwy. 1!
