Practical
Plants

Cakile maritima

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
0.3 m
Spread
0.3 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, stems, flower buds and immature seedpods - raw or cooked. They are rich in vitamin C but have a very bitter taste[7][8]. Used mainly as a flavouring[2]. Very young leaves can be added to salads whilst older leaves can be mixed with milder tasting leaves and used as a potherb[183, K]. Root - dried and ground into a powder, then mixed with cereal flours and used to make bread[5]. A famine food, it is only used in times of scarcity[4]. The seed contains a fatty oil[9]. No more details are given.

Product or use
Condiment
Plant part
Flowers
Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Root
Plant part
Seedpod
Plant part
Stem

Material uses

Product or use
Oil

Environment

Range
Coastal areas of Europe, including Britain, the Mediterranean, Baltic and Black Seas.
Habitat
Sandy and shingly places all around the coast[3].
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, maritime exposure
Wind
Yes
Maritime
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]. Plants are easily grown in a garden situation and can self-sow if the ground is disturbed by hoeing etc[K]. This species is closely related to C. edentula, which is native to N. America[3]. The seed is often dispersed by floating in sea water[3].

References

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

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  2. Bianchini. F., Corbetta. F. and Pistoia. M. Fruits of the Earth.

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  3. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

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  5. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

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  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. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

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  8. Freethy. R. From Agar to Zenery. The Crowood Press 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-946284-51-2

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  9. Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968-00-00

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