Rock Samphire (Crithmum maritimum)

Edibility:Edible

Eating notes: It is the young leaves of the Rock Samphire that are eaten.
They can be steam as a side vegetable when the cooked flesh is scraped from the stringy centre - a bit like eating globe artichoke leaves.
Rock Samphire was also commonly pickled.

Rock Samphire is bushy plant of the costal fringe. Unlike it's (unrelated) namesake, Marsh Samphire, it is only found above the high-tide line.

Height: 50 - 80cm

Leaves: Small fleshy and an elongated spear-shape.

Flowers: Rock Samphire is of the Carrot family and has umbels of tiny cream flowers.

Stems: Thick and round in section. Rapidly becoming stringy and tough.

Other: Slight chemical smell - turpentine?