Marsh Samphire (Salicornia europaea)
How to Identify Marsh Samphire
Edible
Common Names
Samphire, Sea beans, salt fingers, glasswort
Botanical Name
Salicornia europaea
Could be confused with…
Other glasswort plants. Potential to pick Sea Spray whilst picking marsh samphire, not to worry – it’s edible to
Range and Distribution
Western Europe’s coasts including England
Habitat
Salt Marshes, estuaries, coastal sand and mud flats
Physical Characteristics
Marsh Samphire is an annual growing from 3-30cm tall.
It’s a succulent and fleshy plant, with opposite scale like leaves and heavily jointed stems.
The flowers are tiny and sunken in to the stems joints, they’re actually quite difficult to see as are the small succulent fruits containing one single seed.

Edible Use:
Stem: Salads, steamed, boiled, fried, raw, stews, pickled, candied, frozen, caramelized, pesto.
Herbal
Marsh Samphire holds a vast abundance of micro and macro minerals.

Tips and Observations
The ash gathered from burning this plant was historically used in the production of soap and glass (it is a strong alkali known as potash