Seakale

 

The rare Seakale on an East Devon beach last August

Watching BBC2's Springwatch last night (which was on Minsmere RSPB Reserve on the Suffolk coast), I discovered the name of the plant I saw on an East Devon beach last August but couldn’t identify. It’s Seakale.

The plant grows on shingle beaches in the south (mostly) and used to be abundant. You can eat the leaves however and in the eighteenth century became fashionable and was harvested almost to extinction. I feel quite privileged therefore to have seen it.

My two older wildflower books say it flowers June to August, but my newest one (published 2008) says it flowers May to September – a sign of changing climate, I suppose. Another interesting point. (Well, I find it interesting anyway.)