Flora of Harbour View

There is evidence that the Saltmarshes behind Harbour View were used for
agriculture in times gone by.  By 1903 they formed a nine hole golf course as part of
the Atlantic Golf-links Hotel. Today it is a bird Sanctuary.
 

The Salt marshes
Tidal Zone - is dominated by sea tolerant species including Salt-marsh grass
Spear leaved Orache and Frosted Orache.
The Mid Marsh - is characterised by Sea-Thrift Sea -Plantain Sea-lavender and
Sea -Aster
The Upper Marsh is dominated by Red Fescue, Sea-Milkwort, Glasswort, Saltmarsh-
Rush and the rare Sharp-Rush.
Dunes
Sand dunes are hills of wind-blown sand that have been progressively more
stabilised by cover of vegetation. The dune system is in a constant state of change
and maintaining this is essential to ensure that all of the habitats present achieve
favourable conservation conditions.
Along the High Tide mark there are a a small number of highly specialised species
capable of coping with extreme conditions including Spear-leaved Orache and
Frosted Orache, Sea-Rocket Sea-sandwort and Prickly Sandwort.
The foredunes are characterised by the presence of salt tolerant Marram Grass,
Sand Couch and Lyme Grass.
Fixed Dunes located in the shelter of the mobile dune ridges have a fixed carpet of
vegetation

Plants
Behind the dunes along the track that leads to the Causeway. the rare Sharp-Rush
grows.
On either side of the track there are large expanses of Silver green Sea-Purslane, a
small shrub with grey pink flowers with a yellow stamen on slender spikes that flower
from July to September.
From April to July the mid-marsh is a carpet of pink Sea-thrift, along the edge of the
track amongst the grass grows Lady’s Bedstraw with its yellow frothy flowers that fills
the air with a sweet honey-like scent.
The carpet of pink Thrift is soon replaced by Sea-Lavender which has Lilac lavender
coloured papery blooms each 6-7mm long in lax cluster loosely scattered along the
stalks, they also flower from July to September.
On the Eastern side of the Upper marsh we can see Perennial Glasswort.  This is a
succulent plant creeping through the mudflats. It’s slightly woody stems are quite

distinctive as they seem to have joints almost moulded into the dark green stems.
Perrenial Glasswort is extremely rare and is protected by the Flora Protection order.  Dotted in the grasses behind the dunes are Marsh Orchids that bear a spike of
magenta-purple flowers on stout stems which grow to about 40cm that flower from
May to June.  

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