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Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima
Sea beet is a perennial wild relative of garden beet and chard that grows on coasts across Europe, North Africa and southern Asia. It thrives in full sun, moist but well-drained soil, and tolerates salty conditions.
The sea beet, Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima (L.) Arcangeli., is an Old World perennial plant with edible leaves, leading to the common name wild spinach.
Sea beet is found in maritime locations in Europe, northern Africa, and southern Asia. In the British Isles it is found round the coasts of England, Wales, Ireland and southern Scotland. It grows at the top of sand and pebble beaches, at the drift-line on saltmarshes, on sea-walls, coastal rocks and cliffs. It also occurs on wasteland near the sea, and occasionally on rubbish tips and roadsides inland. On the pebble banks of Chesil Beach in Dorset, it dominates the drift-line along with oraches Atriplex spp., and is in dynamic equilibrium with a community dominated by shrubby sea-blite Suaeda vera.
Its leaves have a pleasant texture and taste, being good served raw or cooked (minus the tough stems), similar to spinach.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Sea beet by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
