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Some rock samphire (Crithmum maritimum) on oxidised sedimentary rocks at Marloes sands in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

Crest marine!

Location Marloes Sands, Wales

Now is the time of year when rock samphire is starting to come into flower. The flowers are small and inconspicuous at first, like in this photo, barely differing in colour from the rest of the plant. By August they will grow into the yellow-green umbels which mark it out as a member of the carrot family, and not a relative of marsh samphire, which only came to be called samphire much later. I have heard it suggested this was to associate it with the more highly prized rock samphire to increase its marketability. Indeed, when rock samphire was in culinary favour, it was sometimes adulterated with the cheaper marsh samphire to make it go further. Nowadays, the two plants have exchanged places in prominence, with marsh samphire’s popularity soaring after making an appearance in Charles and Diana’s wedding breakfast. In modern parlance, the word “samphire” on its own is pretty much guaranteed to mean marsh samphire, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen rock samphire sold anywhere.

Indeed, at the time I took this photo I’m not sure I was even aware rock samphire is edible, which is just as well because this was in an SSSI, so I don’t think that picking it would have been legal. Some say it tastes like kerosene, which doesn’t sound like a great endorsement. But it would be foolish for me to dismiss it on that basis, having never tried kerosene either.

Some extra interest was added by the geology of Marloes Sands, where the sedimentary rocks have been deformed, folded and tilted so much that in many places, the bedding planes lie vertically. The samphire first attracted my attention here, but it was the splash of orangey-red from the oxidised rock which helped me decide where exactly to frame the composition.

If you’re wondering about the title of this photo, Crest Marine was the name given to rock samphire by 19th century London street hawkers, presumably because it held more consumer appeal.

More details
  • Location Marloes Sands, Wales
  • Date taken 10th June, 2024
  • Camera Canon EOS 5D Mark III
  • Lens EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM at 80.0mm
  • Exposure details 1/13s at f/11, ISO 100
  • Keywords
    • Coast
    • Coastal
    • Crithmum maritimum
    • Marloes sands
    • Orange
    • Oxidation
    • Pembrokeshire
    • Red
    • Rock
    • Rock samphire
    • Sedimentary rock
    • Stone
    • UK
    • United Kingdom
    • Wales