Beach vitex rapidly forms large monocultures and crowds out native dune species, including the rare sea beach amaranth (Amaranthus pumilus), which is federally listed as threatened. The thick cover of beach vitex can hinder efforts of loggerhead sea turtles to lay their eggs and prevent hatchlings from making their way to the sea.
Despite the fact that it was introduced for the purpose of erosion control, there is evidence that beach vitex is not as efficient for dune building and stabilization as it does not trap wind-blown sand as well as native species. Areas of sand dunes where beach vitex has become the dominant cover have been observed to have lower profiles than those dominated by native species, such American beach grass or panic grass.
