Practical
Plants

Crambe maritima

Seacale

a perennial member of the Crambe genus in the family Brassicaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Crambe
Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.6 m
Spread
0.6 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Bees, Flies, Self
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Flies, Self

Uses

Edible uses

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

Young leaves - raw or cooked like spinach[23][5][17][20][8]. They have a pleasant almost nutty flavour and go well in a mixed salad[K]. They also make a very pleasant cooked vegetable[K]. Older leaves develop a bitterness and are not so pleasant[K]. Young shoots - raw or cooked[12][19][17][18][8]. Available in the spring, they have a delicate nutty flavour with a crisp texture[13][16]. The shoots are usually blanched and can be cooked like asparagus[23][8]. When properly cooked they retain their crispness and have a very agreeable flavour, somewhat like hazelnuts but with a slight bitterness[8]. Root - cooked. Rich in starch and sugars[22]. Young flower buds - raw or cooked[16]. The flowering shoots are harvested when about 10 - 15cm long and before the flowers have opened. Used like sprouting broccoli, they are quite nice raw and delicious when lightly steamed[K].

Plant part
Flowers
Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Root

Material uses

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

Plants can be used for ground cover when spaced about 60cm apart each way[14].

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Soil surface

Environment

Range
Atlantic coast of Europe, including Britain, along the Baltic coast and around the Black Sea.
Habitat
Coastal sands, shingle, rocks and cliffs near the sea, often on the drift line[7].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
neutral, alkaline
Tolerances
high wind, maritime exposure, drought
Wind
Yes
Maritime
Yes
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant
Salinity
tolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - sow March/April in a seedbed outdoors and either thin the plants out or move them to their permanent positions when about 10cm tall[3]. Plants can be cropped once they are more than 12 months old[16]. The young plants are very attractive to slugs so some protection will often be needed. Germination can be slow so it is best to sow the seed in pots in a cold frame[6]. Germination usually takes place in 3 - 26 weeks at 15°c[6]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant out into their permanent positions when they are at least 10cm tall. Division in spring or autumn[1][3]. Dig up the root clump and cut off as many sections as you require, making sure they all have at least one growing point. The larger of these divisions can be planted out straight into their permanent positions, though small ones are best potted up and grown on in a cold frame until they are established. Root cuttings, 3 - 10 cm long, in spring[2]. These can be planted straight into the open ground or you can pot them up in the greenhouse and plant them out once they are growing strongly.

Cultivation

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

An easily grown plant, succeeding in a good loam and an open sunny position[24][26][34] but also tolerating some shade[32]. Prefers a slightly alkaline soil in a position sheltered from strong winds[34] (this report totally conflicts with the plants native habitat which is on sea shores - we have found this species to be very tolerant of strong maritime winds though it does not like cold northerlies much[K]). Tolerates poor soil and some shade[34]. Dislikes acid[24] and very stiff soils[37]. Prefers a rich, well-drained very deep sandy loam and a pH of 7[25][36]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[33].

This species is hardy to about -20°c[31], it grows best in a cool maritime climate[34]. Seakale is sometimes cultivated for its edible young shoots in the spring which are blanched by excluding light in order to make them less bitter[38][36]. Two or three crops can usually be harvested each year[36]. There are some named varieties[30]. The roots are sometimes brought into a greenhouse in the winter and grown on there in order to produce an early crop of shoots[30]. A deep-rooted and very long-lived plant[35][36], it dislikes root disturbance[28]. The seed is dispersed by seawater, on which it can float for several days without loss of viability[29].

A good bee plant[27].

References

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

    ↩

  2. RHS. The Garden. Volume 111. Royal Horticultural Society 1986-00-00

    ↩

  3. Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge 1926-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  4. Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain.

  5. Loewenfeld. C. and Back. P. Britain's Wild Larder. David and Charles ISBN 0-7153-7971-2

    ↩

  6. Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990-00-00

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  9. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30936-9

  10. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

  11. Chatto. B. The Dry Garden. Dent 1982-00-00 ISBN 0460045512

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

    ↩

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

    ↩

  14. Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-460-12609-1

    ↩

  15. Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8

  16. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Vegetables Macmillan Reference Books, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0 333 62640 0

    ↩1↩2↩3

  17. Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. 1878-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  18. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

  19. Mabey. R. Food for Free. Collins 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-00-219060-5

    ↩

  20. Larkcom. J. Salads all the Year Round. Hamlyn 1980-00-00

    ↩

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

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

    ↩

  23. Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981-00-00 ISBN 0-600-37216-2

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2

  25. RHS. The Garden. Volume 111. Royal Horticultural Society (1986-00-00)

    ↩

  26. Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge (1926-00-00)

    ↩

  27. Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain. ()

    ↩

  28. Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. (1990-00-00)

    ↩

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

  31. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books ISBN 0-330-30936-9 (1991-00-00)

    ↩

  32. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. ISBN 0-86318-386-7 (1990-00-00)

    ↩

  33. Chatto. B. The Dry Garden. Dent ISBN 0460045512 (1982-00-00)

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  35. Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. ISBN 0 460 86048 8 (1990-00-00)

    ↩

  36. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Vegetables Macmillan Reference Books, London. ISBN 0 333 62640 0 (1995-00-00)

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  37. Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. (1878-00-00)

    ↩

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

    ↩

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