Halophytes

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

A very hardy and ubiquitous plant in the UK, fennel is well known even to amateur cooks for its aniseed notes, which are a great addition to any salad or seafood dish. The seeds are also versatile and can be used in a number of cuisines from curries to bread.

Though not a halophyte, its springy stalks are quite happy being battered by coastal winds and don’t mind the odd bit of sea spray.

They’re easy to grow and often seen as weeds, but are great for pollinators and can be quite a dramatic addition to a garden or even a motorway.

Golden Samphire (Limbarda crithmoides)

Probably not genetically related to marsh samphire (Salicornia sp.), golden samphire is a perennial coastal species, which may be found growing on salt marsh or sea cliffs across western and southern Europe and the Mediterranean.

Young leaves may be eaten raw or cooked as a leaf vegetable, with a pleasant flavour similar to parsley, though slightly more aromatic. It was formerly sold in markets in London for uses in pickles. In Lebanon, it was evaluated for use in saline agriculture.

Horseradish (Cochlearia Armoracia)

Although not a halophyte, horseradish is a well-known perennial brassica cultivated since before records began. The name is probably a corruption of the Germanic word “Meerrettich”, which literally translates as “sea radish”. A native Briton might have heard “mare-radish”, and eventually the “mare” became “horse”. Though not exclusively a coastal plant, nor a halophyte, it can be found across the whole of the UK thanks to its downright hardiness.

Its pungent aroma comes from the compound allyl isothiocyanate, and with a high vitamin C content it was historically used as medicine for colds and other ailments, as well as a condiment for meats. It deters pests in the garden and will grow vigorously from just a small section of rhizome, given half a chance.

Goes very well with a dash of vinegar in a salad dressing or with fish, though in the UK more commonly served as a condiment with beef. It’s also a great wasabi substitute.

Marsh Samphire (Salicornia Sp.)

Marsh samphire, the most celebrated halophyte of all time? Certainly a regular feature on the Norfolk and Suffolk costs of the UK. Its crispy, salty flavour makes it a favourite for any food lover, and goes especially well with fish, either fresh or blanched like spinach.

Currently most of the samphire eaten in the West comes from Israel, South Africa or Saudi Arabia, though it grows in abundance during the British summer which will no doubt extend with the ever-rising temperatures. It’s relatively easy to cultivate, and can be incorporated into aquaponic or aeroponic systems to take up nutrients or desalinate brackish water or salty soils.

Scurvy Grass (Cochlearia Officinalis)

The story goes that scurvy grass gained its name as a quick fix of vitamin C to stave off scurvy, potentially also used by the Romans for the same purpose. Occasionally consumed with bread & butter akin to water cress, with a strong peppery taste similar to horseradish or wasabi. It can also be added to salads or dressings, and goes very well in a horseradish sauce for that extra nutrition.

Sea Arrowgrass (Triglochin Maritima)

A relative of marsh arrowgrass (triglochin palustris), sea arrowgrass is toxic and the older shoots produce hydrocyanic acid (i.e. cyanide). However, the pale young shoots (3-5cm) at the base of the plant have an aroma and taste very similar to coriander. The seeds are also edible, with the same coriander-like flavour and can be roasted or ground into a flour.

Sea Aster (Aster Tripolium)

Sea aster, also known as Aster pannonicus/m, Summer’s Farewell (local name in Dorset) or even Michaelmas daisy, is a late flowering perennial resembling a purple daisy, and its crunchy, shapely foliage has a subtle taste of oysters. Commonly found along the British coast in salt marshes, especially in the late summer months, where it is an important nectar source for Red Admiral butterflies.

Sea Kale (Crambe maritima)

Sea kale more or less does exactly what it says on the tin. Once common along the south coast of the UK, it’s taken a beating from human activity (especially the Victorians with their big ideas).

It’s happiest on shingle or rocky beaches, and has a tough exterior with a bitter outer coating. However, a quick blanch in seawater will soon render it indistinguishable from regular kale, even superior. The young flower shoots are the real delicacy, though, which can be ‘forced’ like rhubarb and taste superb fried with butter or a hollandaise as you would asparagus.

Sea Plantain (Plantago Maritima)

Plantago is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The stalks of the broadleaf plantain have a slightly bitter mushroom flavour (which can be improved in a sauté with butter and herbs). Sea plantain, or goose tongue, is a herbacious perennial whose leaves can be eaten raw or blanched like spinach. Like arrowgrass, the seeds can also be eaten raw, roasted or ground into a flour.

Rock Samphire (Crithmum Maritimum)

Rock samphire, known in German as “sea fennel” or crithmum maritimum by its Latin name, is actually a relative of the common carrot, which is instantly recognisable when you taste the young foliage. With age some say it acquires a kerosene-like taste, but is brilliant together with other coastal herbs and seafood. You can mostly find it clinging to rocks just above the high tide mark.

Seagrass (Zostera marina)

The genus Zostera contains 15 species, so Zostera marina may not be the correct species here, but it also goes by the name eelgrass. It can be found on sandy substrates or in estuaries, usually submerged or partially floating. Most Zostera are perennial. Zostera beds are important for sediment deposition, substrate stabilization, as substrate for epiphytic algae and micro-invertebrates, and as nursery grounds for many species of economically important fish and shellfish. Zostera often forms beds in bay mud in the estuarine setting.

Eel grass beds provide a refuge for many invertebrates and a safe haven for developing juvenile fish. The detritus produced when the leaves decay in winter enriches the sediment. The decomposing tissues are the basis for a food chain and large numbers of organisms and bacteria that break down the tissues. Zostera noltii (dwarf eelgrass) and other seagrasses are important in stabilising sediments and reducing wave energy, which may provide a coastal defence against erosion. It is however sensitive to being smothered by shifting sediment and has a low capacity to recover when buried. This may be due to its relatively short leaves and its lack of vertical rhizomes. It is regularly exposed on the foreshore at low tide and is resistant to desiccation. Although it supports a biodiverse assortment of animal species, these are more numerous in subtidal beds.

Interestingly, sea hares (actually marine hares) live in a symbiotic relationship with seagrass, cleaning the slimey diatoms and algae from their leaves and keeping them clean. The reintroduction of otters to certain estuaries was found to simultaneously benefit seagrass, since the otters ate the crabs and other critters that would prey on the sea hares. Just as otters benefit seaweed, here is another perfect example of what’s known as a trophic cascade in action.

Eelgrass has been used for food by the Seri tribe of Native Americans on the coast of Sonora, Mexico. The rhizomes and leaf-bases of eelgrass were eaten fresh or dried into cakes for winter food. It was also used for smoking deer meat. The Seri language has many words related to eelgrass and eelgrass-harvesting. The month of April is called xnoois ihaat iizax, literally "the month when the eelgrass seed is mature".

Certain chefs are now experimenting with seagrass seeds as an alternative to rice, which could make for a very interesting risotto or super-healthy rice cake.

Zostera has also been used as packing material and as stuffing for mattresses and cushions. On the Danish island of Læsø it has been used for thatching roofs. Roofs of eelgrass are said to be heavy, but also much longer-lasting and easier to thatch and maintain than roofs done with more conventional thatching material. More recently, the plant has been used in its dried form for insulation in eco-friendly houses and as a ground cover in permaculture gardens, once its salt layer has been washed off.

Some studies show promise for eelgrass meadows to sequester atmospheric carbon to reduce anthropogenic climate change. Their high leaf turnover and root systems store carbon and stabilise sediments. They also reduce wave action, mitigating the severity of storms and coastal erosion.

Sea Purslane (Halimione portulacoides)

Sea purslane is a beautiful little coastal plant, related to the land-based purslane or (portulak in German). The edible leaves can be eaten raw in salads or cooked as a potherb. They are thick and succulent with a crunchy texture and a natural saltiness. The leaves are good for human and animal health as they contain important micronutrients like zinc, iron, copper, and cobalt.

Sea Spinach (Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima)

Also known as wild spinach, sea beet is the wild ancestor of common vegetables such as beetroot, sugar beet, and Swiss chard. Its young leaves have a pleasant texture and taste, and can be served raw or cooked as you would regular spinach.

It is a large perennial plant which grows up to 60 cm (2 ft), flowering in the summer. Its flowers are hermaphroditic and wind-pollinated. It requires moist, well-drained soils, and does not tolerate shade. Being a coastal plant, it is able to tolerate relatively high levels of salt in its environment.