Cochlearia anglica aka English Scurvygrass

Cochlearia anglica, or English scurvygrass, belongs to the cabbage family, Brassicaceae. Its native range covers western and northwestern Europe. The RHS lists it as native to Britain and Ireland. Its Welsh name is llwylys lloegr. It grows in temperate regions, including muddy shores and estuaries. These coastal sites help explain its tolerance of salt. It can also withstand exposure to sea winds.

This small plant grows as a biennial or perennial. It reaches about 1 foot [0.3 metres] in height. Flowers appear from April to July. Each flower has both male and female organs. Bees, flies and beetles pollinate the flowers. The plant is also self-fertile. Seeds ripen from July to September, after the flowering season. It can cross with the related species Cochlearia officinalis. The supplied sources give no further details about its fruit.

Plants For A Future lists it for bog gardens and cultivated beds. It prefers moist or wet soil, rather than dry ground. It accepts sandy, loamy and clay soils. Its cultivation notes favour sand or grit with good drainage. It can grow in mildly acid, neutral or mildly alkaline ground. Salty soil is also suitable. The source gives conflicting guidance about shade. Its cultivation notes suggest a cool, shaded spot. Elsewhere, it says the plant cannot grow in shade. It also reports that wild plants avoid shaded sites. This leaves its best garden light level unclear.

Young leaves and flower heads can be eaten raw. They serve as a salad flavouring rather than a main ingredient. Their taste is bitter and pungent, which limits their appeal. The leaves contain high levels of vitamin C. Plants For A Future gives its food value one out of five. It records no known hazards, but this does not establish pet safety. The same source lists no established medicinal or other uses.

Seeds can be sown where the plants will grow. Spring and autumn are the stated sowing seasons. Germination takes about two to three weeks at 15°C. Plants For A Future does not flag this species as weedy. The supplied evidence names no pests or diseases. It also provides no hardiness rating or mature spread.