Echinophora spinosa aka Prickly Samphire

Echinophora spinosa belongs to the carrot family, Apiaceae. It is a perennial: it grows for more than two years. The RHS calls it prickly samphire. Its native range spans southern Europe and Algeria. It is not native to Great Britain or Ireland. Kew puts it in a subtropical climate zone. Plants For A Future says it grows on coastal sands. These facts link it to the coast and southern Europe.

Plants For A Future gives its height as about 1.6 feet [0.5 metres]. The sources give no range for its full-grown width. They do not describe its overall shape in detail. The flowers have both male and female organs. The plant term for this is hermaphrodite. The sources give no bloom season or flower colour. Nor do they describe the fruit, stems, or leaves in detail. The common name alone cannot tell us these traits.

Plants For A Future lists sun and partial shade for growth. Its soil advice spans sand, loam, and clay. It accepts mildly acid soils and neutral soils. Mildly alkaline soils also suit it. Though it grows on sandy coasts, it prefers moist soil. The evidence does not show that it can cope with drought. The sources give no heat or cold limit or hardiness zone. Plants For A Future lists garden beds as a possible site. It says new plants can grow from seed. It gives no details on how to sow them. The sources do not describe pests or diseases.

The roots and young leaves are edible parts. Plants For A Future says the root tastes like parsnip. It lists pickling as a use for young leaves. It gives food use a score of two out of five. This shows a known food use, not a major crop. The same source lists no known hazards. That does not prove safety for pets or every person. It lists no uses as medicine and no other uses. Both use groups score zero out of five. It also lists no weed potential. The evidence makes no further claims about its value in landscapes. Nor does it make further claims about its worth to wildlife.