Scientific Name
Cakile maritima Scop.
Common Name(s)
European Searocket
Synonym(s)
Cakile maritima subsp. maritima, Brassica ovalis, Bunias americana, Bunias ovalis, Cakile bauhinii, Cakile edentula, Cakile hispanica, Cakile pinnatifida, Crucifera cakile, Isatis pinnata, Rapistrum maritimum
Scientific Classification
Family: Brassicaceae
Tribe: Brassiceae
Genus: Cakile
Description
Cakile maritima is an annual succulent with a slender or stout taproot, branched, prostrate or ascending stems, and lobed leaves. Stems are up to 18 inches (45 cm) long. Leaves are fleshy, glabrous, and alternate. They are different from the top and bottom of the stem. The lower leaves are obovate or oblanceolate, while the upper ones are oblong. The small flowers come in shades of white, lilac, or purple and have four up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) long petals.
Hardiness
It is grown as an annual plant, so it has no USDA hardiness zone.
How to Grow and Care
Searocket grows and exists in the sandy soil closer to the ocean than the beach grass. Growing Searocket actually prefers sandy conditions. As a succulent, the plant holds water, making growing Searocket even easier.
When growing Searocket, don't include it as part of a vegetable garden. Companions for Searocket cultivation must be of the same family. If the Searockets detect roots of other plants close to it, an "allelopathic" action occurs. Searocket releases a substance into the root zone that stunts or otherwise deter plants of other types.
Searocket puts a long taproot into the soil and does not like to be moved. Start it from the double-jointed seed pods when they appear on the plant and mature, following the small purple blooms. This taproot makes the plant an excellent choice to hold and stabilize sandy soils that may be eroding.
See more at How to Grow and Care for a Searocket.
Origin
This species is widespread in Europe, North Africa, and western Asia, especially on coastlines.
Links
- Back to genus Cakile
- Succulentopedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
