Does it need salt to grow?

No, it tolerates salt spray well but grows perfectly fine in standard garden soil.

You can blanch the young spring shoots by covering the crown with a pot to exclude light.

Plant guide

Chou marin.

Crambe maritima

Pronounced KRAM-bee mah-RIH-tih-mah

Also known as Sea Kale, Sea-Kale

Sea kale is a hardy perennial vegetable that thrives in coastal environments. It produces beautiful, crinkled blue green leaves and clusters of fragrant white flowers. You can harvest the young shoots in spring for a delicious treat.

At a glance

Care level: Easy
Plant type: Perennial vegetable
Light: Full sun
Indoor light: Direct sun
Water: Every 7 to 14 days
Mature size: 2 to 3 feet
Growth rate: Medium
Hardiness: USDA 5 to 9
Bloom time: Late spring to early summer

Care

Plant this in a sunny spot with well draining soil to keep it happy. Watch for slugs and snails that love to snack on the young leaves. Keep the area around the base clear of weeds to ensure good airflow.

Watering: Water deeply during dry spells to keep the roots hydrated.
Feeding: Apply a layer of compost or organic fertilizer in early spring.
Pruning: Remove dead or yellowing foliage in late autumn after the first frost.
Repotting: This plant prefers to stay in the ground, but if container grown, move to a larger pot every few years.
Soil: Sandy, well draining soil
Soil pH: Neutral to slightly alkaline
Temperature: -20 to 30°C
Humidity: 40 to 70%
Drought tolerance: High
Lifespan: Perennial, typically 10 plus years
Fragrance: Light
Deer and rabbits: Moderate

Signs it needs repotting

Roots growing out of drainage holes
Stunted growth
Soil drying out too quickly

Safety

People: This plant is not considered toxic to humans.
Children: The large leaves are sturdy but not dangerous, though children should be supervised to prevent trampling the crown.
Contact allergens: The leaves may cause minor skin irritation in sensitive individuals due to their slightly waxy texture.
Airborne allergens: There are no notable respiratory allergens associated with this plant.
Edibility: While young shoots are edible, they should only be harvested from sustainable populations and never from protected coastal sites.

How to identify it

Wavy, thick, blue green leaves
Large, fleshy, cabbage like foliage
Clusters of small white flowers
Deep, woody root system

Height: 0.6 to 0.9m
Spread: 0.6 to 0.9m
Leaves: blue-green, glaucous, deciduous
Flowers: white, 1 to 2cm
Fruit: green, brown, Late summer

Problems to watch for

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Growing it

Propagation: seed, root cuttings
When to plant: spring, autumn
Overwintering: The foliage will die back naturally in winter. Simply clear away the dead leaves in late winter to make room for new growth.
In containers: It can grow in large containers, but its deep taproot requires a very deep pot of at least 50 centimeters.

Seed

1. Sow seeds in pots in autumn.
2. Keep them in a cold frame over winter.
3. Transplant seedlings in spring.

Pair this plant with other drought tolerant coastal species to create a low maintenance garden bed.

Grows well with

Sea Thrift · They share similar coastal environmental requirements.
Lavender · Both appreciate well drained soil and full sun.

Similar species

Crambe cordifolia · It is a much larger relative with similar white flowers.

Science

Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Crambe
Order: Brassicales
Class: Magnoliopsida
Native range: Coastal regions of Europe and Western Asia.
Conservation: It is protected in some parts of its native range and should never be collected from the wild.

It is highly adapted to sandy, saline coastal environments where it uses its deep taproot to find moisture.

Value to wildlife: nectar source
Pollinators: bees, butterflies
Uses: ornamental foliage, culinary vegetable, coastal garden plant

Through the year

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Flowering

Fruiting

Foliage

Ecological indicators

Salinity: 6/9
Soil reaction: 7/9
Light: 8/9
Temperature: 5/9
Moisture: 4/9
Nutrients: 5/9

Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.

Questions people ask

Does it need salt to grow?: No, it tolerates salt spray well but grows perfectly fine in standard garden soil.
How do I harvest it?: You can blanch the young spring shoots by covering the crown with a pot to exclude light.

Where the name comes from

Crambe is an ancient Greek name for cabbage, and maritima refers to its natural coastal habitat.

Good to know

It is a member of the cabbage family.
The leaves are naturally coated in a waxy bloom that helps them survive salt spray.
It thrives in sandy, well-drained soils.

Also in

Drought-tolerant plants

Keep your chou marin growing

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This guide was generated with AI on September 24, 2026 and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.