Practical
Plants

Cakile edentula

Sea Rocket

an annual member of the Cakile genus in the family Brassicaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Cakile
Life cycle
annual
Height
0.6 m
Fertility
Bees, Flies, Beetles, Lepidoptera
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Flies, Beetles, Lepidoptera

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Leaves and young stems - raw or cooked[10][3][4]. The younger leaves are used in salads whilst older leaves are mixed with milder tasting leaves and used as a potherb[5]. A horseradish flavour[8]. Root - dried and ground into a powder, then mixed with cereal flours and used to make bread[10][2][3][5]. A famine food, only used when all else fails[7].

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Root
Plant part
Stem

Environment

Range
N. Europe. Eastern and South-western N. America.
Habitat
Sandy or gravelly beaches from S. Labrador to S. Carolina and also around the Great Lakes[8].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 6+
Soil textures
sandy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
high wind
Wind
Yes
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow late spring or early autumn in situ. Germination is usually rapid.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a light well-drained soil and a sunny position[1][6]. This species is closely related to C. maritima[9].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

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  3. Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.

    ↩1↩2

  4. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  5. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2

  6. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

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  7. Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6

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  8. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  9. ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964-00-00

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  10. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩1↩2

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