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Thrift
(Armeria maritima )
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Thrift © Sue Nottingham/Plantlife
An outstanding beauty of the coast.
This perky pink perennial has a favourite of gardeners as early as the sixteenth century. However, there is nothing to match seeing it in its natural habitat: atop dramatic coastal cliffs or astride craggy islands.
Thrift is one of the flowers we keep track of in our Wildflowers Count survey - click here to find out how you can help out.
Distribution
Across wild, coastal areas throughout the UK - especially Scotland. As well as rocky cliffs, Thrift can also be commonly found brightening up saltmarshes and other sandy areas.
Best time to see
April-July when it flowers.
Did you know...
In Gaelic thrift is known as tonna chladaich, meaning 'beach wave'. It is also known as Sea Pink, Rock Rose and Our Ladies Cushion. Thrift was used as an emblem on the threepenny-bit between 1937 and 1953 - the Mint no doubt aware of the double meaning in its name.
County flower of Bute, the Isles of Scilly and Pembrokeshire/Sir Benfro.
In Welsh it is called clustog Fair, Mary's pillow.