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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.

Scientific name

Lepidium latifolium

When to see

June to July

Species information

Category

Statistics

Height: up to 1.5m
Common.

About

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.

How to identify

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.

Distribution

Mainly found in South East England and East Anglia.

Did you know?

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'.