OCEANSCAPE NETWORK
  • Home
  • Virtual Explorations
    • The Stream
  • Explore
  • Experience
  • Educate
Pickleweed
Mollusk
See me at the Aquarium
EXPLORE > PLANTS > ANGIOSPERMS
​

Sarcocornia perennis

Pickleweed is the common name applied to a group of flowering plants found on the beaches and sandy shores of the Pacific Northwest. Locally it may also be called woody or perennial glasswort. Pickleweed grows as a small shrub with an irregular contour. A main stem is barrel-shaped and will have many jointed branches with small scaly leaves. The plant is usually a dark green but may turn red in the fall.

Highly tolerant to salt water, pickleweed is common in coastal areas where historically it was harvested by Native Americans as a food. As the common name suggests, it has a salty / vinegary flavor similar to that of a dill pickle. It can be eaten either cooked or raw, and many farmers and ranchers will also use it as fodder for livestock.

The plant may have other uses as well. Studies are currently underway to see if Sarcocornia perennis could be used in the production of bio fuels. Others are evaluating the plant as a useful component in the ecological restoration of salt marshes due to its ability to bioaccumulate harmful substances and thereby help to cleanse contaminated coastal areas.

​Distribution

Different species of this plant are found all over the world in saline habitats and may alternately be known as samphires, glassworts and saltworts. In the Pacific Northwest, this plant can be readily found in tidal wetlands, estuaries and on the edges of bays in Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon.
​
Conservation Status

Common.
Picture
Picture
About Oceanscape
The Oregon Coast Aquarium's Oceanscape Network is an educational program for youth designed to inspire curiosity in science, nature, conservation and outdoor exploration while providing valuable classroom resources for educators. MORE.
Quick Links
​Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads
Site Updates | For Educators | For Youth | Translate This Website | Contact Form | Privacy Policy | Conditions of Use | Website Accessibility
Finding the Aquarium
2820 SE Ferry Slip Road, Newport, Oregon 97365
(541) 867-3474 | oceanscape@aquarium.org
Oceanscape Network © 2023 by the Oregon Coast Aquarium. All rights reserved. 
  • Home
  • Virtual Explorations
    • The Stream
  • Explore
  • Experience
  • Educate