Rock Samphire / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible

Common Names

Samphire, Stone Samphire, Rock Samphire, Sea Fennel

Botanical Name

Crithmum maritimum

Scientific Classification

Kingdom – Plantae

Order –Apiales 

Family – Apiacea

Physical Characteristics for Rock Samphire

Rock Samphire is a fleshy perennial growing to 30cm tall and wide.

Leaves

The leaves grow off the short stalks and are pinnately branches with succulent lobes. They look a little like thick, green, succulent antlers.

Flowers

The flowers are typically 2 mm in diameter, yellow to green and they grow in standard umbels roughly 4-6cm in diameter. They’re quite substantial in weight for their size.

Where the flowers connect to the stem, there is a set of leaves, that are a thinly spear shaped, coming out all around the stem.

Early in the year, skeletons of previous season’s  flower heads usually persist.

Seeds

Everywhere there was a bud of flowers you will find a pod of seeds growing. Rugby ball shaped

Habitat

Found in coastal areas of Europe, from the Mediterranean to the UK, it prefers to grow on rocky cliffs and rocky edges.

Known Hazards 

None known

Could be Confused with

None, however, it is in the Umbellifer family so be sure to double-check identification.

Click here to read more about the Umbellifer/Carrot family.

Edible Uses

Rock Samphire has a truly bold flavour and a little goes a long way with this one. The flavour has been described, in it’s most crude, as somewhere between carrot tops and petrol, however I prefer to describe it as somewhere between carrots, parsnips and fennel. 

If you want to eat a good volume of this, as a main or side dish, then boil it in 3 to 4 changes of water and add butter and lemon juice.

Or, in my opinion, it’s best to think of this plant as a strong flavouring herb, similar to dill & fennel. I love using it in potato salad or coleslaw or dicing it finely and stirring through oil to make a vinaigrette, it works really well as an accompaniment to fish – specifically mackerel.

Leaves: steamed, boiled, pickled, salted

Flower: raw for strong flavour

Seeds: best pickled or salted

Notes on Herbal uses

Diuretic, helping to aid digestion, said to help aid weight loss if eaten raw (possibly because the flavours are so pungent it may make you stop eating)

Extra notes from the Foragers

Be careful when picking this plant and make sure to keep an eye on your surroundings, it’s fairly easy to pick away before you realise there’s a 100ft drop right next to you.