Herb: Lundy Cabbage


Latin name: Rhynchosinapis wrightii


Synonyms: Brassicella wrightii


Family: Cruciferae



Edible parts of Lundy Cabbage:

Leaves - raw or cooked. A flavour somewhere between a cabbage and a radish. At its best for harvesting in the winter months, when it makes an acceptable addition to the salad bowl. It is also a reasonable cabbage substitute when cooked. Flowers and young flowering stems- raw or cooked. The flowers make a decorative addition to the salad bowl, whilst the young flowering stems can be used like broccoli. A cabbage-like flavour but with a distinct bitterness.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Perennial

Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
May to
June

Habitat of the herb:

Endemic to the cliffs and slopes on the eastern side of Lundy Island.

Propagation of Lundy Cabbage:

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame or outdoor seedbed. The seed usually germinates within a week. Prick out the pot-sown seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer. Those in the outdoor seedbed can be thinned as required (the thinnings can be transplanted or eaten) and be moved to their permanent positions when they are 15 - 25cm tall.

Cultivation of the herb:

Endemic to the cliffs and slopes on the eastern side of Lundy Island.

Medicinal use of Lundy Cabbage:

None known

Known hazards of Rhynchosinapis wrightii:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.