Saltmarsh Bird’s-Beak: Slightly More Green, But Just as Endangered as the Giant Panda

‘Endangered species’ is a familiar phrase touted by environmental stewards and laypeople alike.

Giant pandas, tigers, Asian elephants, blue whales, polar bears, Red wolves, gorillas, and California condors – these animals are in our zoos (not blue whales, of course) and on educational posters because they are being pressured toward extinction.

But can you name an endangered plant?

You can now. Meet the Saltmarsh Bird’s-beak.

Found along the coast of California from Marin down to Baja California, the list of locations the Saltmarsh Bird’s-beak can be seen fits into a short paragraph. Populations in Imperial Beach are thought to be fairly large for the species and our collection only consists of 100 or so specimens.

This estuary native isn’t alone. There are almost 800 endangered plants on the books to date. Sadly, they get significantly less attention than endangered animals. In 1992, almost 900 species were listed as threatened or endangered – over half of them plants. Out of the $160 million used to fund species recovery that year, less than $6 million went to animals’ leafy counterparts.

If you catch a glimpse of the bird’s-beak, you may notice it looks sprinkled with sugar. This species is a halophyte, one of the few plant breeds that can grow in supremely salty locales. It excretes through its leaves the excess salt it picks up while feeding, giving it a slightly crystallized appearance.

Salt isn’t the only thing in this plant’s diet. Saltmarsh Bird’s-beak’s roots puncture nearby plants to suck their nutrients like a flowering Dracula. Not completely parasitic, they do let chlorophyll work its magic to a certain extent.

While funding doesn’t seem to rush toward endangered plant species, scientists are researching ways to make money off plants like the saltmarsh. It’s all about biofuel.

With products like biodiesel, the debate is food versus fuel. Why power machines when you can feed children? Have no fear, halophytes are here!

Most plants are pretty finicky when it comes to salt. Too much and they go kaput. Not so for the halophyte. Plants like the saltmarsh thrive in saline environments and produce quite a bit of oilseed to boot. Large swaths of previously uncultivated land could become home to the future’s newest cash crop.

If you’re willing to travel to the zoo to see Bai Yun and Zhen Zhen, then a couple block trip to the estuary for a once-in-a-lifetime plant sighting should be a no brainer.