Thrift, or Sea Pink, is a small, cushion-like perennial. The roundheaded flowers are a bright pink. The leaves grow up from the base and are narrow yet fleshy; there are many of them and with the compact flower heads they form a dense hummock. The plant grows in great quantities on rocks and cliffs round the coast of Ireland, and occasionally on mountains. The Irish name, when translated, is 'Daisy of the Sea Shore'. It makes a pretty garden plant for border edgings: it is cultivated in the forms 'Alba' (white), 'Merlin' (pink) and 'Vindictive' (a strong red). The flowers first appear in March and plants are often still flowering in September. Thrift is a common plant round the British coast; it is found on the coast of Europe from Norway to northern Spain.