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Dittander

©Philip Precey

Dittander

Dittander is a herb of coastal saltmarshes and damp ground. Its waxy leaves and long roots help it to survive in this harsh environment. Due to its peppery taste, it has also become a popular garden plant.

Enw gwyddonol

Lepidium latifolium

Pryd i'w gweld

June to July

Species information

Category

Ystadegau

Height: up to 1.5m

Statws cadwraethol

Common.

Ynghylch

Dittander is a scarce, salt-tolerant plant ('halophyte') that is generally found along the edges of coastal saltmarshes and damp ground in South East England and East Anglia. It has also been increasingly introduced to gardens as a culinary and medicinal herb, possibly escaping to some inland locations. It is a member of the cabbage family of plants.

Sut i'w hadnabod

Dittander has grey-green, waxy, oval leaves. It displays tiny, white, four-petalled flowers that sit in rounded clusters at the end of branching stems.

Dosbarthiad

Mainly found in South East England and East Anglia.

Roeddech chi yn gwybod?

Dittander has a peppery taste, so was used in the preparation of sauces before Horseradish became popular; as a result, it has other common names like 'Pepperwort' and 'Peppergrass'.