Sea Sandwort, Seaside sandplant
Honckenya peploides

Family: Caryophyllaceae

What it is like

Honckenya peploides is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in) by 1 m (3ft 3in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to August, and the seeds ripen from July to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects, wind, wind-blown sand. The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Height (m): 0.2

Where it is found

By sea coasts on mobile sand and sandy shingle.

Coasts of temperate and arctic regions of Eurasia, including Britain, and N. America.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 3

Young shoots - raw or cooked and used as a potherb. A sour taste. A delicious flavour, they are rich in vitamins A and C. They are at their best before the plant flowers. The leaves can also be fermented and used like sauerkraut. 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. Seed - used as a garnish or ground into a powder and added to flour. Very fiddly to harvest.

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating:

How it is grown

Requires a well-drained soil and an open sunny position. Plants are tolerant of short periods of immersion in salt water. When well sited, the plant can spread quite freely at the roots. Grows well in an outdoor bed at Kew.

Propagating it: 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.

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 4-8

Growth: Medium

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Arenaria peploides.