Crithmum Maritimum

Description

This wonderfully succulent British native flower is usually found on precarious cliff faces or in shingle by the sea. With fleshy, grey-green foliage, the tender new shoots have a salty-aromatic flavour and have been used as salads since antiquity, or even pickled to be eaten later by sailors to supplement their diets, as it is rich in vitamin C, essential oils, trace elements and minerals. Chopped and mixed with olive oil and lemon juice, the leaves make an excellent salad dressing. In summer it bears pretty umbels of yellowish-green flowers. it is very adaptable to a variety of normal garden soils, as long as is is very well-drained.

Sowing Advice

Sow seeds at any time covering them very thinly with compost or grit, and leaving some of the seed showing, as light can initiate germination, just as in the wild, and leave in a well-lit, warm spot. Sometimes, artificial heat may not be needed, and may prevent germination, as some species will only germinate in the spring after being chilled in the moist seed tray. Grow on in sharply draining compost in a pot, or the open ground.

Key Facts