sea lavender

American  

noun

1. an Old World, maritime plant, Limonium vulgare, of the leadwort family, having one-sided spikes of small, lavender-colored flowers.

2. a similar plant, Limonium carolinianum, of the eastern coast of North America.

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sea lavender British  

noun

1. any of numerous perennial plants of the plumbaginaceous genus Limonium, of temperate salt marshes, having spikes of white, pink, or mauve flowers, several species of which are grown as garden plants See also statice

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Etymology

Origin of sea lavender

First recorded in 1590–1600

Example Sentences

Rare plants, such as rock sea lavender, wild peonies and wild leek also grow on the island.

From BBC • May 26, 2022

They said specific vegetation on the Gower Peninsula created meat with a flavour of samphire and sea lavender.

From BBC • Aug. 11, 2021

From Burnham Overy Staithe, a historic harbourside village on the mainland, wade across Overy Creek and one of the finest salt marshes in the UK, with its wealth of samphire, sea lavender, and sea purslane.

From The Guardian • May 11, 2019

In spring, the jacaranda trees, the sea lavender, and the ice plants bloom together, and for a few weeks the county explodes in wild purple hues.

From The New Yorker • Jun. 5, 2018

When she put those hands on my hot forehead, I thought of sea lavender and April.

From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk