Danish scurvy grass

If you have a little look at the grass verges along main roads at the moment you might just see a white cloud of this little plant running along their edges. Danish scurvy grass (Cochlearia danica).

A halophyte (salt lover) it hails from the coast, but has spread around the countries road network by following the road edge "salt zone" created by gritters, with its tiny seeds spread ever onward by the turbulent winds generated by high speed vehicles.

It is high in vitamin C and was used by sailors to avert scurvy.

This is on Black fan road in Welwyn Garden City. Around central Herts it is usually joined by stags horn plantain (Plantago coronopus), another coastal halophyte.

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