This plant tend to be low growing and sprawls over rocks and dunes. The smallish flowers bloom in Spring as early as March sometimes. The red stems are an identification diagnostic.

E. portlandica is almost entirely coastal and grows on the south coast of England plus the Irish sea coasts of Wales, northern England and Ireland. There is little to be found in Scotland except in south Ayrshire and in Ireland there is some on the west coast too. It is almost completely absent from the east coast of England and Scotland and is surprisingly rare on Portland Bill where you might expect to find it in abundance.

Talacre Dunes, North Wales 5th May 2006

Added on January 25th 2005, updated 13th January 2009, updated 30th March 2010