Seasonal Wild Flowers

Common Scurvygrass

Cochlearia officinalis

Brassicaceae

April to August

It is found in the marine fringes in the West, Northwest and

Northeast.

See the BSBI distribution map for Common Scurvygrass

It grows on cliffs, saltmashes, rocky shores and northern hills.

It also grows in hedge-banks in the Southwest and beside

salted roads.

Common scurvygrass is a native, biennial or perennial herb

growing up to 60cm, although it is usually much smaller.

It tends to be low and sprawling, when in crowded communities

on saltmarshes, and tall and straggly as individual plants on

cliffs.

The white flowers (8-15mm) are in flowerheads.

Leaves are heart-shaped, dark green and fleshy.

The fruit pods are round produced in large numbers.

Common Scurvygrass is larger than Danish Scurvygrass

(see February) and there is some overlap in habitats, including

alongside salted roads.

Before citrus fruits were available in England, scurvygrass

leaves were used as a source of vitamin C in the prevention of

scurvy. Presumably, if limes had not become available to the

Navy, English sailors would have been known as 'scurvies'.

Common Scurvygrass on a saltmarsh

Common Scurvygrass on a cliff

Flowerhead

Developing pods

Fleshy leaves

Pods en masse on saltmarsh