Cakile edentula, commonly known as American Searocket, is a succulent plant native to North America, most commonly to the East Coast of the United States.
Searocket is a member of the Mustard family, and it is related to broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. Searocket provides potassium, calcium, and a range of B vitamins, beta-carotene, and fiber. All plant parts are edible.
Searocket is large and spreading, with rocket-shaped seed pods, although the name comes from an old synonym for plants of the Mustard family. During the winter, leaves are leafy, but the Searocket takes on a strange, fleshy, almost alien-like form in the summer heat.
Growing Conditions and General Care
Searocket grows on the dunes of coastal beaches and shorelines of freshwater lakes. It prefers well-drained sandy soil.
When growing Searocket, do not 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 types of plants close to it, an "allelopathic" action occurs. Searocket releases a substance into the root zone that stunts or otherwise deters plants of other types.
Start it from the double-jointed seed pods when they appear on the plant and mature, following the small purple blooms. Searocket puts a long taproot into the soil and does not like to be moved. This taproot makes the plant an excellent choice to hold and stabilize sandy soils that may be eroding.
Links
- Back to genus Cakile
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus