Crambe maritima 'Lilywhite'
sea kale 'Lilywhite'
A versatile, robust perennial about 60-75cm tall, grown for the edible shoots, which are usually blanched for several weeks before harvesting. The young wavy-edged blue-green leaves are also edible and used as a cooked vegetable, and young flowering shoots bearing small white flowers, are cooked like sprouting broccoli
Buy this plant
Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green | Blue Green | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | White | Blue Green | ||
| Autumn | ||||
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
- Partial shade
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H7Botanical details
- Family
- Brassicaceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Genus
Crambe are robust annuals and perennials with large, simple or divided leaves and racemes or large panicles of small, fragrant white flowers
- Name status
Accepted
How to grow
Cultivation
Ideally grow in fertile, well-drained soil in full sun although it will tolerate poor soil and partial shade. Provide shelter from strong winds; young shoots, leaves and flowering shoots are edible and can be used as a cooked vegetable
Propagation
Propagate by seed sown in pots in a cold frame in spring or autumn or propagate by division in early spring or take root cuttings in winter
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Coastal
- Cottage and informal garden
- Gravel garden
- Wildlife gardens
- Cut flowers
- Flower borders and beds
Pruning
Cut down to ground level in autumn
Pests
May be susceptible to slugs and caterpillars
Diseases
May be susceptible to club root
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.