A native of the Mediterranean, Medicago marina is a coastal specialist, growing along the drift line of sandy beaches. The leaves are covered in silky, silvery hairs, they tend to fold up and crowd together; all strategies to help resist the challenges of beach life. Like all members of the pea family, the roots have nodules containing bacteria, which fix nitrogen, thus aiding the establishment of other plants; this along with their creeping habitus helps to stabilise the dunes. This is particularly important on beaches like Milia, where the contours of the beach create a barrier to the waves and protects the coastal wetland, an important ecological environment.