Cakile Maritima

Cakile Maritima is a unique and rare succulent, only found around coastal areas and sandy beaches. This succulent’s natural habitat includes coastal areas of Europe, Britain, the Mediterranean, Baltic, and Black Seas. Cakile Maritima thrives in sandy places around the coastal area. This succulent is an edible halophyte and is also said to have ethnomedicinal benefits.  

Family:	Brassicaceae
Genus:	Cakile
Scientific Name:	Cakile Maritima
Other Names:	European Sea-rocket, Sea Rocket
Growth Season:	May to November
Preferred Temperature:	20 to 25 degrees Celsius
Hardiness Zone:	USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9
Average Mature Height & Width:	80 centimeters tall and 50 centimeters in diameter
Toxicity:	Cakile Maritima is non-poisonous. Therefore, it can easily be placed in a home with pets and kids since you’ll not have to worry about any danger.

Cakile Maritima’s Physical Characteristics

This succulent is known to be an annual herb. It has exciting seed pods comprising two compartments. The more extended tip usually has 2 to 3 seeds, and eBay snaps off. The seeds are yellow to brown and smooth. This succulent usually has a 40 centimeters taproot. It has an extensive lateral root branching system.

The stems are also branching. Cakile Maritima has ribbon-like strands that would typically run along the water line. The fleshy linear leaves grow alternately on each side of the stem and have teeth on the edges. One of the unique physical characteristics of this succulent is that it has deeply lobed leaves with leaflets.

From July to August, Cakile Maritima produces purple to almost white flowers. The flowers have four petals at around 23 millimeters each. These flowers will eventually mature into the fruiting stage. The fruits are two-seeded and have fleshy lobes. It is almost capsule-like but with a long protruding tip.

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Cakile Maritima Care

Growing this succulent is relatively easy. Since Cakile Maritima stores water, you only need to water it occasionally. It thrives in moist soil but checks that you are not overwatering your succulent as it might be prone to root rot.

This succulent needs full sunlight to thrive. It is also advisable to use light well-draining soil for your Cakile Maritima. When it is placed indoors and not getting enough sunlight, your succulents’ leaves might start to fall off.

During this situation, you may only water your Cakile Maritima with 0.8 cups of water every nine days. You may feed your succulent to promote growth and provide additional nutrients. You may use a nitrogen-rich fertilizer for your Cakile Maritima.

DO YOU KNOW? Caring (propagating, pruning/trimming, beheading, watering, …) is a set of skills that is applicable to almost every succulent. Read the in-depth succulent care guide right here >>

Richard from Succulent City

Cakile Maritima Growth

This succulent is a fast-growing succulent. It is mainly propagated through seed dispersal. Due to its natural habitat, the sea current plays a vital role in spreading the seeds of Cakile Maritima. The waves deposit the seeds along sandy beaches and in between beach debris. If you want to grow your own Cakile Maritima, you can easily plant their seeds since germination is relatively faster and easier than other succulents.

You may only need to prune this succulent once a year or when the stems get woody. Removing dead or dying leaves and stems promotes growth and flowering. You may not repot your Cakile Maritima often. Once a seedling grows, wait a month until the new plant already has its robust root system before transplanting.

Cakile Maritima doesn’t easily get infested by pests. Watch out for sap beetles that might attract your succulents. This is an unusual pest for other types of succulents, but due to this plant’s habitat, it is prone to such.

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