Honckenya peploides
Sea Sandwort
a perennial member of the Honckenya genus in the family Caryophyllaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Caryophyllaceae
- Genus
- Honckenya
- Life cycle
- perennial
- Growth rate
- moderate
- Height
- 0.2 m
- Spread
- 1 m
- Fertility
- Self fertile, Insects, Wind, Wind-blown sand, Self
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
- Pollinators
- Insects, Wind, Wind-blown sand, Self
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Young shoots - raw or cooked and used as a potherb[5][7][4]. A sour taste[6]. A delicious flavour, they are rich in vitamins A and C[3][6]. They are at their best before the plant flowers[3]. The leaves can also be fermented and used like sauerkraut[1][6]. In Iceland the plant is steeped in sour whey and allowed to ferment. The resulting liquor is said to taste like olive oil and is used as a beverage[4]. Seed - used as a garnish or ground into a powder and added to flour[3]. Very fiddly to harvest[3].
- Plant part
- Leaves
- Plant part
- Seed
Environment
- Range
- Coasts of temperate and arctic regions of Eurasia, including Britain, and N. America.
- Habitat
- By sea coasts on mobile sand and sandy shingle[2].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 5+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy
- 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 March in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer. Division in early spring. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Requires a well-drained soil and an open sunny position. Plants are tolerant of short periods of immersion in salt water[2]. When well sited, the plant can spread quite freely at the roots[K]. Grows well in an outdoor bed at Kew[K].
References
Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain.
Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00
Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.
Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202