Samphire
Crithmum maritimum
Apiaceae
Growth habit
Herbaceous
Perennation
Cultivated as annual
Native distribution
Mediterranean to Uk
Biocultural value
It was popular in Elizabethan times, used fresh in salads or pickled.
Location
Source of plant
Unknown
Description
Collected as a leaf vegetable from the wild (Italy, Greek, e.g.) and occasionally cultivated for this purpose in Italy, France, and the USA. In the 17th cent. also grown in England. The fleshy leaves, rich in vitamin C, are eaten raw in salads, formerly also pickled as spice and used as remedy against scurvy.
USDA Hardiness Zone
7
Special characteristics
tender perennial, food