Mertensia maritima

[Stephenb]

I was in the Lofoten Islands in Northern Norway a few weeks ago. On a beach, I found masses of Mertensia maritima. However, there seemed to be two distinct forms with different leaf colour, one the normal blue-green colour and the other shiny green. Or is it something else? It was too early for flowers.

[Lesley Cox]

You'll just have to go back later Stephen, when they're in flower. The green one seems to have had had the sand pulled off it to expose pale growth which would usually be under the surface?

[Stephenb]

Well, I posted my query also on a Norwegian site and received an answer from a botanist today: The plant on the right is not a form of Mertensia, but Honckenya peploides (syn. Arenaria peptoides), Sea Sandwort or Seaside Sandplant. Really quite excited by this as I'd had this one of my wants list for some time. Over much of its range it was formerly used locally for food, most often the leaves were fermented - I have records of this from Scotland, Iceland and the Aleutian Islands....

I took the plants in the picture home (Mertensia and Honckenya) and planted in sand mixed with seaweed compost and the plants have thrived.

[Maggi Young]

Honckenya peploides (syn. Arenaria peptoides), hmmmm......we'll have to look out for this one.

[Stephenb]

I just had a proper look at the Honckenya and it's done something weird (it's getting weirder and weirder in my garden....). See these pictures. Incidentally, the plant is named after German botanist Gerhard August Honckeny - just in case you were wondering...