Cakile maritima (European searocket)

Cakile maritima

Photo courtesy Joseph DiTomaso

Cakile maritima (European sea-rocket) is a succulent annual or perennial (family Brassicaceae) found in coastal dunes spread throughout the coast of California. European sea-rocket is a common invasive plant, but its impacts appear to be relatively minor. European sea-rocket reproduces by seed, which is distributed by ship ballasts, sand transport, tidal movement, and human activity. In comparison to native dune plants, it produces more seed, disperses greater distances, and tolerates more disturbances. Laboratory experiments demonstrate that the plant may have allelopathic effects, but these effects have not been observed in field experiments.

Cal-IPC Inventory rating: Limited

Cal-IPC Resources on Cakile maritima

• California Invasive Plant Inventory Assessment Form (pdf) - Information gathered by Cal-IPC on the impacts, rate of spread, and distribution of invasive plants in California. Does not include management information.
• Cal-IPC News - Articles from our quarterly newsletter. (None for this species.)
• Cal-IPC Symposium Proceedings - Presentations and papers from our annual Symposium. (None for this species.)

Cal-IPC News Articles

• Robinson, R. (2009). "We don't know what we need to know". Cal-IPC News. 16: 4-5, 12.

Cal-IPC Symposium Proceedings

• None for this species.

Other Resources on Cakile maritima

• USDA PLANTS database - Federal database with information on identification and distribution, and links to websites in individual states.
• Jepson Online Interchange for California Flora - Information on taxonomy, biology, and distribution from the UC Berkeley Jepson Herbarium.
• CalFlora - Distribution information by county based on submitted observations and herbarium specimens.
• CalPhotos - Images of plants taken mostly in California.

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