Parish's Glasswort
Arthroceras subterminale · Amaranthaceae
- Form
- Succulent
- Height
- 4-18 in
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Water
- High
- Blooms
- Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
- Habitat
- Wetland · Coastal
🌿 California native
Quick facts
- Habitat: Wetland, salt marsh, tidal flats
- Form / size: Jointed succulent, 4-18 in
- Sun: Full sun · Water: High, saline or brackish
- Blooms: Summer-fall, inconspicuous · Pollinator value: Low
Description
A jointed, succulent salt-marsh plant closely resembling pickleweed. It grows as fleshy green stems that may turn reddish with salt, drought, or seasonal stress.
Wildlife & pollinators
Important as structure and cover in salt marsh habitat, especially for small marsh animals and shorebirds using pickleweed-dominated flats.
Habitat & range
Coastal salt marshes, tidal flats, and brackish wetland margins. It is part of the pickleweed/glasswort complex that gives Southern California marshes their low, succulent ground layer.
In the garden
Not a normal garden plant. Best treated as a restoration or interpretation species for actual saline wetland conditions.
Propagation
From cuttings or seed in consistently moist saline soil. Use site-appropriate restoration guidance; glasswort taxonomy and local genetics can matter.
Where to see it near you
- iNaturalist — observed in Southern California
- Coastal salt marshes and tidal flats.
Problems
Habitat loss is the issue. Protect the marsh; do not collect plants.
Sources
Commonly confused with
Pickleweed 🌿 Salicornia pacifica very similar; both are jointed succulents of salt marshes, and confident ID may require close characters. 
