Crambe maritima

sea kale

• Position: full sun or partial shade
• Soil: deep, fertile, well-drained soil
• Rate of growth: average to fast
• Flowering period: June
• Flower colour: white
• Other Features: edible stems
• Hardiness: fully hardy
  
  Clusters of honey-scented, white flowers in early summer are held above wonderfully ruffled, leathery, blue-green leaves. This hardy native is a relative of the cabbage, and in winter and early spring, the young, developing stems may be blanched and eaten. They have a unique, mild flavour. As the name suggests, they are very happy in coastal gardens, and can form large colonies just above the high tide mark. The flowers are also attractive to bees.
  
  
• Garden care: In January cover the crowns of two-year- old plants with special earthenware blanching pots or large plastic buckets, weighed down with bricks and surrounded with a mixture of well-rotted, garden compost and leaf mould. Once the blanched stems are 15-23cm (6-9in) high harvest by cutting below the crown.
  
  
  • Eventual Height: 0.6m
  • Eventual Spread: 0.6m
  Crambe maritima - sea kale A profusion of delicate, white summer flowers