SEA BEET-SELQ (WILD SPINACH)

Sea beet - SELQ Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms Eudicots Core eudicots Order: Caryophyllales Family: Amaranthaceae Genus: Beta Species: B. vulgaris Subspecies: B. v. subsp. maritima

SEA BEET Edibility – 4/5 – leaves – smaller ones are best Identification – 4/5 Distribution – 3/5 Season – All year, but best when not flowering and can be a bit below par in January/February Habitat – upper beach, coastal defences and waste ground adjacent to coast

Sea beet It is a perennial plant which grows up to 1.2 m, and flowers in the summer. Its flowers are hermaphroditic, and wind- pollinated. It requires moist, well- drained soils, and does not tolerate shade. However, it is able to tolerate relatively high levels of sodium in its environment.

Sea beet The sea beet is native to the coasts of Europe, northern Africa, and southern Asia. The sea beet is the wild ancestor of common vegetables such as beetroot, sugar beet, and Swiss chard.[3] Its leaves have a pleasant texture and taste when served raw or cooked, and because of this, it is also known as wild spinach.

Sea beet Sea beet is an aristocrat in the world of wild greens. Like many true aristocrats, it has an unkempt appearance that belies its pedigree. Look for glossy, oval to diamond shaped leaves in unruly rosettes on the foreshore and in about sea defences. Its genes have been tamed and refined down the ages to give us many varieties of beetroot, sugar beet, chard, spinach and lots more, so it should seem familiar. You can occasionally see the purple colouration from which beetroot was selectively bred in the young leaves.