Specieswatch: how sea kale thrives in hostile conditions

Hardy brassica, which draws nutrients from below shingle, used to be eaten pickled to ward off scurvyA line of large flowering plants along the shingle beach at Dunwich on the Suffolk coast, growing in what seemed to be extremely hostile conditions, turned out to be sea kale (Crambe maritima). A highly specialised and very tough native plant, this member of the brassica family has made a spectacular comeback along our shores.Sea kale is a classic example of a species that has adapted to thrive in conditions that would kill almost any other plant: deep salty shingle along a stormy shore line. It has tough leathery leaves but was just coming into flower and had a lovely scent. Continue reading...