Description
Crambe maritima
Also known as sea-colewort and scurvy grass, this fascinating herbaceous perennial is related to true kale, and is native to the coastlines of Europe, both around the Atlantic Ocean and the Black Sea. Since ancient times the young, fleshy white roots have been used as a forage food, and the leaves have been eaten by humans and fed to cattle. Local people also learned to heap loose shingle around the root crowns in early spring, causing the emerging shoots to be blanched (in the same way as rhubarb). By the 1700s, it was a common garden vegetable in Britain and America, and its popularity increased further following the publication of Thomas Jefferson’s Garden Book in 1809 and its inclusion on the menu for Prince Regent George IV at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton. Sea Kale was also often pickled and taken on long sea voyages to help prevent scurvy, due to its high Vitamin C content. Over-harvesting from the wild decreased the native populations but in Britain wild harvest is now protected.
Predictably Sea Kale grows well in salty, sandy and gravel soils, and can withstand salt winds. However it can also be grown in average garden soils given adequate drainage. It does not need a lot of moisture but does need a little watering in a drought. Unlike other kales it grows from a basal rosette rather than a stem. It dies down in winter, though in warmer areas it may not die down completely. Through the growing season it can reach a height and spread of 30 – 75cm. The leaves are wavy and silvery blue-green and are very attractive. In summer white sweetly scented flowers are produced which are attractive to bees. The buds and open flowers are edible, as with other brassica family members.
If forcing the plant for the the tender new shoots, you can use a bucket, pot or just mound the plants up with straw. This should not be done until the second year, to allow the plants to establish first, and the process takes around three weeks. These ‘sprouts’ can be up to 30cm long and are eaten much like asparagus, either raw or cooked, and served with butter, hollandaise sauce etc. If growing for leaves, these are best harvested when young, as older leaves can become rubbery and bitter. They can be used like regular kale or spinach. Roots should also not be harvested until the second year (and not too many roots should be taken otherwise it may weaken or kill the plant).
Sea kale plants can be mulched and fed with seaweed and rotted manure to increase the leaf harvest. They are frost hardy and enjoy full sun or part shade.
One year old certified organic plant (not seedling) in 11cm pot. This will give you the opportunity to harvest roots next season which can be sprouted to produce new plants if you wish to multiply them up.
Freight: We can send up to 6 plants this size (in 11cm pots) plus 3 x 9cm pots for the same freight price or they can be combined with other grades but this will incur higher freight costs.
More details of freight and packing charges here
Photos: Kahikatea Farm; beach photo credit – Sea Kale – identification, edibility, distribution, ecology, sustainable harvesting, recipes – Galloway Wild Foods
