The most famous flower on the Shoreham Beach LNR is the Starry Clover (Trifolium stellatum). 

It was first found there in 1804 and is thought to have come by sea in ships’ ballast from the Mediterranean where it is a common native clover. It is an annual and likes soil that is a bit disturbed. 

It has grown in two places at the Shoreham Fort and in patches along the path going West along the LNR close to the houses and at the extensions of the beach at some road entrances. For many years Shoreham Beach was its only location – then it was discovered to be growing at the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) at Browndown in Hampshire. It can be missing from an area for years and then reappear.

This year it has not grown well. In 2018 it was discovered near the Widewater in Lancing. The Friends map its distribution annually.