Digging around the roots, which release a pungent scent as they break under your hands, you see something potentially more dangerous than a poisonous plant.
There's a bootprint in the sand, about six inches from your position, and another beyond it. Someone was here, nearby. Someone is nearby.
The wind is at your back, putting the creator of those footprints downwind from you. Perhaps the stink of the shrub will mask your presence, if you do not dare to approach.