Seaaide flower shows a liking for the roadside!
Salting roads in icy weather is helping a coastal flower become the fastest spreading plant in Ashfield and the rest of Nottinghamshire.
Danish scurvy-grass has moved inland along roads where salt has cleared vegetation on the verges. Traditionally found at the seaside, it can cope with high levels of salt that build up at the roadside, whereas other plants cannot. It is particularly noticeable by busy main roads, where its small seeds are easily spread by the high speed of cars in the fast lane.
“Gritting has created ideal conditions for Danish scurvy-grass,” says Nick Crouch, Nottinghamshire County Council’s senior nature conservation expert. “Where it grows in abundance, its small white or mauve petals put on quite a display.”
A member of the cabbage family and rich in vitamin C, the plant is also edible.