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Definition of sea lavender
sea lavender
Plural:sea lavenders
sea lavender Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
9
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A salt-tolerant coastal plant of the genus Limonium, native to salt marshes, cliffs, and sandy shores worldwide, characterized by dense, branching clusters of small, papery, pale purple or pink flowers.
Example
"The estuarine salt marsh was painted a vibrant purple by massive blooming swaths of sea lavender in late summer."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for sea lavenderWord Nuance & Usage
Although named for its resemblance and coastal habitat, sea lavender is not closely related to true lavender (genus Lavandula) and lacks its signature fragrance.
Word Origin & Etymology
The common name derives from its typical coastal salt marsh habitat ('sea') and the color and clustering of its flowers, which visually resemble true lavender.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Sea lavender. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 15, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/sea lavender