Essbare Mittagsblume

Requires a well-drained sandy soil in a sunny position. Plants can be grown on dry walls or in the flower border. Established plants are very drought resistant. Very resistant to wind and salt spray. Moderately fire-retardant. Plants are not very frost resistant and can be killed by temperatures below about -2°c. They have naturalized themselves on cliffs along the coast of S. Britain but do not succeed inland unless grown in a sunny sheltered position. A vigorous prostrate plant, rooting as it spreads. The flowers only open in the afternoon. Grows on shallow soil [1d].

Edible Parts: Fruit Leaves Edible Uses: Fruit - raw, cooked, dried for later use or made into pickles, chutney etc. There is very little flesh in the fruit and it must be fully ripe otherwise it is very astringent[K]. Mucilaginous and sweetly acid. Leaves - raw or cooked. Succulent, they are eaten in salads and can also be used as a substitute for pickled cucumber. We find them too mucilaginous to be enjoyable[K].

Fire retardant Soil stabilization Tannin Used in maritime areas to prevent soil erosion in sandy soils. Plants form a dense carpet and make an effective ground cover. Can be grown as a fire barrier in areas subject to forest fires, it is moderately fire retardant. The dried leaves contain about 19.4% tannin and the dry stems 14.2%. Yields of 1700 kilos per hectare of cultivated plants have been achieved. A popular plant for growth as an ornamental or for ground cover [1d].

Heimisch: BR, Cape Provinces, Coquimbo Region |Valparaíso Region |Metropolitana Region |O'Higgins Region |Maule Region |Biobío Region |Araucanía Region, GR, North America Eingeführt: AL, AR, AU, Albania, Algeria, Archipielago Juan Fernández, Argentina Northeast, Azores, BR, Baleares, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil South, CV, CY, California, Canary Is., Cape Verde, Channel Is., Chile Central, Corse, Corse (Corsica), Cyprus, DZ, ES, East Aegean Is., East Africa, England, FR, Flemish Region, Florida, France, GB, Great Britain, Greece, HR, IE, Ireland, Italy, Juan Fernandez Islands, Juan Fernández Is., Kriti, Lebanon-Syria, Libya, Madeira, Mexico Northwest, Morocco, NW. Balkan Pen., New South Wales, New Zealand North, New Zealand South, Northern Ireland, Palestine, Pitcairn Is., Pitcairn Islands, Portugal, Scotland, Sicilia, Society Is., South Australia, Spain, St.Helena, Tasmania, Tunisia, Türkiye, Uruguay, Victoria, Wales, Western Australia