The rock samphire is a perennial plant found growing along the coast in places influenced directly by sea spray where few other species manage to survive. It is found in many parts of coastal Europe, including the Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts, growing mostly on cliffs and rocks in areas with little soil. More rarely, it sets root on shingle or sandy beaches.

The name samphire was once spelled sampere or sampier, derived from the French sampière, which is a contraction of Saint Pierre. The plant was dedicated to St Peter, the fisherman saint, because it grows near the sea.

The plant grows 30 centimetres high and has thick leaves in which it stores water that help it survive in its salty surroundings. It flowers throughout the summer months. The umbrella-shaped flowers are hermaphrodite, that is, they are both male and female and are pollinated by insects. The seeds ripen in autumn.

The leaves of the rock samphire are edible: they can be eaten raw as a salad, pickled like capers or cooked. They have a slightly salty taste that reminds one of fennel but are slightly more bitter.

The fennel-like taste has given rise to another English name – sea fennel, as well as to several European names with the same meaning, such as the Maltese name bużbież il-baħar. The leaves are rich in vitamin C and in former times sailors used to eat them to prevent scurvy.

Until very recently, the leaves and seed pods of the rock samphire were collected in parts of Italy and some Greek islands and sold in markets .

Rock samphire is not widely used as a medicinal plant. It has diuretic properties and is being looked into for its potential as a treatment for obesity. It also helps the digestive system and is said to reduce flatulence and to aid digestion. An essential oil extracted from the seeds is used in perfumery.

This species is easily cultivated from seeds and should be planted in soft areas close to the sea instead of the exotic species that are often planted in these areas.

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