Pacific glasswort (Salicornia pacifica)
Care, watering, light and tips for Pacific glasswort on Floravia.
Quick facts
- Family: Amaranthaceae
- Difficulty: Easy to care for
- Watering: every 14 days
- Light: Partial shade
- Temperature: 10–30 °C
About Pacific glasswort
Salicornia pacifica, also known as Pacific glasswort, is a halophytic succulent plant characterized by its segmented, fleshy stems, which are bright green and can turn reddish. It grows in coastal areas and salt marshes, forming dense, branching clumps. It is ideal for low-maintenance gardens in coastal climates, rock gardens, or even as an edible plant in gourmet salads.
Native range
Pacific coasts of North America, from Alaska to Baja California
Care tips
It requires full sun and is extremely salt-tolerant, thriving with brackish or even salty water. The substrate should be sandy and have excellent drainage, mimicking its natural marsh habitat. Watering should be moderate once established, but it can tolerate drought; a common mistake is overwatering in poorly drained soils, which will rot its roots.
How to save a dying Pacific glasswort
- Warning signs
- Stems soft, dark or blackened; leaves (segments) yellowish or whitish, wilted and flaccid.
- First aid
- Remove plant from pot. Discard wet soil and rotten roots. Replant in sandy, well-draining substrate. Water very lightly.
- What kills it
- Overwatering and lack of salinity in water. It's a halophyte that needs salt.
- Can it be saved?
- Yes, if you act quickly. Rot damage is reversible if not too advanced.