Six Coastal Herbs of Suffolk

This is a group of perennial herbs that are highly adapted to their native, coastal habitats. They survive in a harsh climate of drought and bright, direct sun, which is then exaggerated by salt spray and strong winds. The shingle beach, in particular, is an environment that is ever-changing with the winds and tides, and will shift daily in dramatic ways - almost appearing like a different landscape altogether overnight. Many of these plant species have developed similar features in order to survive; a distinct glaucous foliage, and often fleshy or hairy leaves help to retain moisture, deflect salt and reflect light. Their culinary and medicinal uses are now often overlooked, and even their ornamental merits aren’t always celebrated. They continue to amaze me, however, as I see them throughout the seasons, growing and flourishing despite their circumstances.

A note on seed collection: Always make sure to make a note of where your seed is collected, along with the date and the species name. Only collect seed if you’re sure it is mature. And of course be aware of what and where you are collecting, particularly if plants could be rare or endangered. I like this advice from ICPS.org:

“A good rule of thumb is to collect seeds from only 1 in 50 fruiting plants; do not collect if less than a total of 50 plants occur in a site. Don’t over-collect from plants that reproduce primarily by seed.”

Bear in mind that these plants have seed dispersal mechanisms that are also adapted to their habitats. Many therefore require colder temperatures or soaking to aid germination. Abrasion too will sometimes help to mimic the action of the moving shingle, which naturally breaks open harder seed shells. Many can lie dormant for long periods if kept cool and moist, so that if they are carried out to sea they will germinate once they reach suitable land. I am learning to experiment, but always try to think first before sowing - where and when would this seed usually fall? and what process would it undergo in order to grow?

Yellow Horned Poppy (Glaucium flavum, Papaveraceae)

Description: Clump forming herbaceous perennial with pale blueish foliage. Leaves are fleshy and highly textured, with pinnately lobed leaf margins. After flowering, long ‘horn-like’ seed pods form and dry, later opening to distribute the seeds within.
Habitat: A coastal plant, found on shingle and dune beaches around South East England and Wales. Native.
Flowering period: Bright yellow papery flowers bloom throughout June-September.
Uses: All parts of the plant are toxic, including the seeds.
Propagation: Seed should be sown fresh into a well drained medium and kept in a cold-frame to mimic natural habitat. Pods can be collected green and dried in a paper bag to collect the seeds. Division after flowering is also a good propagation method from cultivated plants.

Sea Pea (Lathyrus japonicus var. maritimus, Fabaceae)

Description: Low growing, trailing perennial pea, growing in temperate coastal habitats of the northern hemisphere. Also known as Sea Vetchling, this small but colourful plant can grow to form large colonies on shingle and sandier beaches. Leaves are in opposite pairs, fleshy and can be lightly- toothed or entire at the margins. Leaves and tendrils are a pale blueish hue, appearing in springtime and spreading in patches. Flowers form in late spring to early summer; approx. 2.5 cm in size, with bright purple and white petals, which turn paler with age.
Habitat: Native coastal herb. Especially common in East Anglia, though also found on the South and South West coast of the UK.
Flowering period: Flowers form in May and continue to around July/August.
Uses: Seeds and young shoots are edible raw or cooked, with a sweet, often quite bitter flavour. Some warn against consumption in large quantities due to the build up of toxic amino acids in large quantities of the seeds. In Suffolk, seed pods of the Sea Pea are thought to have been an important addition to the coastal diets during the middle ages. Also an effective nitrogen fixer, aiding other plants to colonise.
Propagation: The easiest method of propagation is via seed - Dry seed pods and sow in autumn or spring under cold frames, or in situ into well-drained, low nutrient soil.

Sea Kale (Crambe maritima, Brassicaceae)

Description: Large, low growing, herbaceaous perennials, formining colonies along shingle shorelines. Leaves are distinctively fleshy and glaucous, with wavy-edges. Each grows singly on a thick white-grey stem which emerge from tough roots in early spring as mounds of purple shoots. Flowers are small and white (sometimes with yellow centres) in racemes, later turning to small green seed capsules which dry over the autumn and winter. Flowers have a sweet fragrance.
Habitat: Native coastal herb. Found growing wild along shingle coasts of Europe (though its numbers are diminishing).
Flowering period: May-June.
Uses: Young shoots can be eaten like kale, though are tough - particularly once more mature. A common plant used in dry garden planting schemes for its architectural, aromatic and ornamental qualities.
Propagation: Root cuttings can be taken during dormancy, though from wild plants this is obviously advised against. Seed may be collected in late autumn and sown direct (or in spring) into well-drained soil under cover or in cold frames. I have found success by soaking the seed in luke-warm water over night prior to sowing. The seed casing will soften, allowing you to gently open it and separate out the seeds, which look like tiny black bullets. Sow onto the soil surface and cover with vermiculite. Water sparingly and from below. Pot on as soon as the first set of true leaves have come through. Crambe have extremely long tap roots, so make sure they have room to grow. Watch out for slugs when your plants are young! I have surrounded my seedlings with egg shells in the past to protect them.

Thrift (Armeria maritima, Plumbaginaceae)

Description: also known as ‘sea pink’, this is a beautifully delicate little clump-forming perennial. Tufts of dark green linear foliage are evergreen. Flowers are formed on long, thin stems that rise up above the central rosette of foliage, approx. 5-30cm in length. Flowers are globular in shape and a beautiful colour - bright pink to whiteish mauve, amazingly sweet fragrance.
Habitat: Native coastal herb. Commonly found on salt marshes, rocky cliffs and sandy dunes around the coasts of the UK.
Flowering period: April to July.
Uses: In the language of flowers, Thrift represents sympathy. Found in many dry garden planting schemes, as well as rock garden designs. A brilliant dried flower in everlasting arrangements.
Propagation: Seed - collect dried flowerheads in late summer to autumn, releasing the seeds into a paper bag or container. Sow direct into well drained compost, covering lightly with vermiculite, or wait until spring and sow direct. Basal cuttings in spring or divisions in early autumn would also work well, though may be a little more fiddly as the material is small.

Sea Wormwood (Artemesia maritima,Asteraceae)

Description: Strongly aromatic perennial herb, with upright to spreading, white-grey foliage. Flowering stems grow up to 50cm in length, whilst non-flowering leaf rosettes are separate and shorter. Leaves are ‘wooly’ textured on both sides, twice pinnate and deeply dissected - more so than the more common A.absinthium. Flowers form late in the season, in panicles, with their small yellow heads drooping.
Habitat: British Isles. Coastal, drier salt marshes and sea walls, vegetated shingle spit. Quite rare, but excitingly we have the species in Suffolk along the shingle spits in Orford.
Flowering period: July to August.
Uses: Similar medicinal uses to that of A.absinthium and A.vulgaris; traditionally used to dispel worms, and also as a digestive tonic. The leaves are antiseptic and were once used as such, but are no longer used internally. Aromatic properties make brilliant hydrosols or flower waters if you like the smell.
Propagation: Last year I took some semi-ripe cuttings, which rooted well and put on growth but unfortunately fell prey to sciarid fly. This year I will try again, with a drier rooting environment and less humidity.

Sea Samphire (Crithmum maritimum,Apiaceae)

Description: The Crithmum genus contains this one single species. Also known as rock samphire and sea fennel. A fleshy spreading herbaceous perennial with branched, ridged stems and glaucous leaves.
Habitat: Sandy or stony foreshore, coastal rocks, cliffs and tidal estuaries. `Native to British Isles. NB: often confused with Marsh samphire/glasswort (Salicornia species)
Flowering period: Tiny yellow-green flowers umbels in summer. beautifully aromatic with traditional herbal folk culinary and medicinal uses.
Uses: Edible foliage, fresh, cooked or pickled. high levels of vitamin C. salty flavour!
Propagation: Sow under heated glass in early spring. Transplant outside after last frost.