Cochlearia officinalis - Common Scurvy-grass
The shaded hedgerows and
ditches of Pembrokeshire are lit up in springtime by the brilliant white but short-lived
flower masses of scurvy-grass. This plant is particularly common near the coast.
The first flowers appear in April, but May is the best
month for this member of the cabbage family. You will see odd patches of scurvy-grass in
bloom throughout the summer.
Usually keeping low with its succulent lower leaves
hard against the ground and varying from dark green to red and even deep purple, this is
an untidy plant best admired in masses from some distance. The small four-petalled flowers
soon fall and swollen seed pods develop.
Sailors ate scurvy-grass when at sea to ward off the debilitating disease
of scurvy, which is caused by a deficiency of vitamin C. The symptoms of scurvy are spongy
and bleeding gums, bleeding beneath the skin, and extreme weakness. The sharp-tasting
leaves of this plant are very high in vitamin C, and at one time scurvy-grass ale was a
popular tonic drink.
Wildflowers of Wales
This wildflower is one of many dozens that are featured in the First Nature Guide to the
Wonderful Wildflowers of Wales, Volume 2 - Seashores and Coastal Cliffs.
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