Adjacent to the waters of the Pacific Ocean, a small complex of plants has adapted to the margin of the sandy shore. These plants are typically low growing, succulent, and have extensive root systems.

The sandy substrate presents many hardships for plant life. The large, uneven structure of sand grains produces a loosely compacted soil that is easily displaced by wind and water. This instability of the substrate tends to retard the establishment of plants. The climate of the coastal strand is moderated by the presence of the ocean. Temperatures tend to average between 60 and 70 degrees F with little or no frost. Rainfall is low, about 10 to 12 inches per year, but moisture is supplemented by fog and dew.

Constant onshore winds not only increase transpiration from the leaf surfaces, but also prune away new tender shoots, promoting the prostrate growth form of coastal strand plants.*
*Extracted Natural History of Southern California: Ancinec, Radford, Schwenkmeyer