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Sea Radish

Edible Edible Autumn Autumn Spring Spring Summer Summer Winter Winter

Available year round and common around many coastal areas Sea Radish is an easy to recognise member of the cabbage family particularly when the seed pods are present.

Hedgerow Type
Common Names Sea Radish
Synonyms Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. maritimus
Scientific Name Raphanus maritimus
Season Start Jan
Season End Dec
Please note that each and every hedgerow item you come across may vary in appearance to these photos.

Leaves

Typical pinnate Brassica leaves growing in a rosette and with quite a rough texture.

Flowers

Yellow cruciform flowers, typical of the Brassica family. Flowers from June to August.

Seed Pods

Typically with two to three ‘peas’ easily visible in the tapering seed pod.

Habitat

Near the to the coast on shingle, sand or verges beside the road.

Possible Confusion

Almost identical to Wild Radish and the two can hybridise.
Can look similar to a few other Brassicas but all are edible.

Taste

All parts taste like Radish with a hint of cabbage.

Frequency

Common by the coast in the South and West and in the South West of Scotland.

Collecting

The whole plant tastes like radish with a hint of cabbage. The seed pods need to be collected before the seeds get hard, if you have missed this window the seeds can be ground into a mustard powder. The leaves are a bit tough but caught very young they are similar in taste to Charlock leaves. The leaf ribs make a crunchy addition to a salad. The roots can be used as a root vegetable or grated and used to make a horseradish substitute.

Other Facts

Sea Radish is a biennial and only the rosette of leaves can be found in its first years growth. It is frost and salt hardy and will grow on the poorest of mediums.

COMMENTS

3 comments for Sea Radish

  1. Mary Conliffe says:

    Are Sea Radishes invasive with their seeds spreading.
    They can block sea views for walkers on costal paths.

    1. Eric Biggane says:

      Sea radish can grow quite large but I haven’t heard of it being invasive. I don’t live near the coast so maybe someone out there knows more.

    2. Anthony Skellern says:

      I found a single plant last week by the coastal footpath in the Arnside/Silverdale area. It is a straggly branching plant, but with one side on the seashore it was not going to be an impediment to walkers

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