Red Glasswort, red swampfire
Salicornia rubra
Family: Chenopodiaceae
What it is like
Salicornia rubra is a ANNUAL growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in). It is in flower from August to September, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.2
Where it is found
Seasonally wet, saline or alkaline places inland, rarely also naturalized in saline areas along highways at elevations of 100 - 1600 metres.
Central N. America - Manitoba to British Columbia and southwards.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
Seed - ground into a powder and then cooked. Young stems - raw or cooked.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Stem: this often intergrades into leaves.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
Prefers a rich organic soil with ample nitrogen and regular watering. This species is little, if at all, cultivated and its exact requirements are not clearly understood. It is not known if the plant will require periodic inundation by salty water to grow well. We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in most parts of the country. This species might be no more than a synonym for S. europaea, some botanists seeing it as being part of that aggregate species. This species is closely related to S. prostrata. The plants native habitat will give some idea of its cultivation needs.
Propagating it: Seed - we have no information for this species but suggest sowing the seed in situ as soon as it is ripe if this is possible, otherwise sow in spring.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Annual
Hardiness:
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist