Herb: Sea Sandwort


Latin name: Honckenya peploides


Synonyms: Arenaria peploides


Family: Caryophyllaceae (Pink Family, Starwort Family)



Edible parts of Sea Sandwort:

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.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
20 cm
(7 3/4 inch)

Flowering:
May to
August

Habitat of the herb:

By sea coasts on mobile sand and sandy shingle.

Propagation of Sea Sandwort:

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.

Cultivation of the herb:

By sea coasts on mobile sand and sandy shingle.

Medicinal use of Sea Sandwort:

None known

Known hazards of Honckenya peploides:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.