Wild Wednesday - Sea kale
This week's wild Wednesday is sea kale - you may have seen it on the shingle along our coasts.
The scientific name for sea kale is 'crambe maritima'. It is a robust herbaceous perennial forming a fantastic clump of large, lobed, wavy-edged powdery-blue leaves.
It is a halophyte, meaning it thrives in salty environments where few other plants can survive, and is a perennial plant that can live for many years and withstands harsh coastal winters, tolerating temperatures as low as -20°C. This makes it well-suited to the coastal conditions of Sussex.
Sea kale was once a common sight above the high tide mark on many of Britain's shingle beaches, but is now restricted to sporadic clusters, but lucky for us it is naturally found along the shingle beaches of the Sussex coast and plays a key role in stabilising the habitat and supporting other coastal flora and fauna. Its white flowers attract bees and other pollinators, contributing to the health of coastal ecosystems.
Nearly all parts of the plant are edible-leaves, stems, flowers, and roots. It is rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, and manganese, but we don't want to shout about that, as it looks much better where it is!
It was a popular vegetable in Britain during the 18th and 19th centuries. It was even cultivated in Victorian kitchen gardens and served in high-end restaurants.
Sea kale is considered rare and is protected in certain nature reserves like Shoreham Beach Local Nature Reserve.
Read more here: Crambe maritima - Wikipedia