Salt Marsh Scrub At Sandy Hook NJ

The salt marsh scrub along the bay side of Sandy Hook occurs in tidal and higher, irregularly flooded habitats. This blog identifies some of these moderately halophilic plants, including a few salt bushes (not grasses or trees in this post) from photos taken at Horseshoe Cove and Plum Island.

These pictures – and over 6 million observations worldwide - have been geolocated and posted at iNaturalist.org. You can zoom-in to Horseshoe Cove to see a map of icons representing groups of species, like plants, birds, fish, shells, etc.

The plant names in this post are linked to a great website for identifying plants in maritime habitats like Sandy Hook, “Cape May Plants – An Identification Guide” by CapeMayWildlife.  NY-NJ-CT Botany Online has biota lists for many of the parks in our area, including a plant list for Sandy Hook.

Common names vary, so use the Latin scientific name if you want to Google more images.

Horseshoe Cove

After leaving the path from the salt marsh bridge, walk north towards Battery Arrowsmith along the wetlands above the beach.

Sea Lavender (Limonium carolinianum)

The left picture shows the typical lavender-colored mature plant at the top, and the leafy sprout at the bottom, covered with some type of white powdery-mildew, that is a common Limonium pest. The picture on the right is what it looks like before it turns lavender. A lot of these lavenders bloom around the boardwalk at Spermaceti Cove.

Sea Blight (Suaeda maritima)

Look for both succulent spikelets and seed-like balls along the stems (it looks a little like spiky ragweed). The technical names for these parts may be in this link, along with a nice close-up. Suaeda is Arabic for black salt, which is the color of its extracted salt after drying (same link). Sea Blight is a lallation issue for Sea Bright.

Pickleweed (Salicornia sp.)

"Fetches more than $5 a pound at the Berkeley Bowl grocery.” Local species include Virginia Glasswort and Common Glasswort. Lots by Spermaceti boardwalk.

Marsh Elder (Iva frutescens)

After you cross the road from the Horseshoe Cove parking lot, look on the right (to the north) for an opening in the brush. You will see three distinct zones in the salt marsh that is caused by the frequency and duration of tidal flooding. Marsh Elder is the hedge in between two grasses: Saltmarsh Cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora), which is most adapted to living in saline water, and Saltmeadow Hay (Spartina patens), at the edge of the semidiurnal flooding, just below the treeline. The treeline is where a lens of freshwater (from rain) floats on the saline groundwater and the maritime forest begins.

Plum Island

Besides these plants, Plum Island also has three salt bushes. Salt bushes thrive in salt marshes because they secrete excess salt to maintain their internal salt balance (they are also well adapted to deserts). All three species are listed by NY-NJ-CT Botany Online for Sandy Hook.

Crested Orache (Atriplex mucronata)

Along the main path across from Parking Lot B, as it curves along the tidal cove to the north (on the right). Below a long hedge of Marsh Elder. The picture on the right shows the flower spike and the distinctive “spiky fruiting bodies”.

Spear-leaved Orache (Atriplex prostrata)

Along the main path across from Parking Lot B, well past where it curves along the tidal cove to the south (on the left). Note the triangular leaves.

Fivehorn smotherweed (Bassia hyssopifolia)

Same area as Atriplex mucronata, as well as further to the northwest along the path. The picture on the right shows the 5 horns.

These plants can be found at other locations in Sandy Hook, as well as in some towns along the Bayshore that still have intact salt marsh habitat. Log into iNaturalist and zoom in for exact locations.