Crambe orientalis

Overview

Crambe orientalis is a garden plant in the genus Crambe, part of the Brassicaceae family. It typically grows around 1.2 m tall. Crambe orientalis grows best in full sun, and tolerates most soils. Its UK hardiness is rated H6.

About

Crambe orientalis is a perennial in the Brassicaceae that sends stems to about 1.2 m, each topped with dense racemes of small white or yellow flowers. It flowers from June to August. The plant prefers full sun and a moist but well-drained soil and will tolerate sandy, loamy or clay textures. Rated H6, it is very hardy in UK gardens.

About the genus

Crambe is a genus of annual and perennial flowering plants in the family Brassicaceae, native to a variety of habitats in Europe, Turkey, southwest and central Asia and eastern Africa. They carry dense racemes of tiny white or yellow flowers on stems above the basal leaves. Crambe hispanica subsp. abyssinica, formerly known as Crambe abyssinica, is grown for the oil from the seeds that has characteristics similar to whale oil.

Wikipedia contributors, "Crambe", CC BY-SA 4.0 — Crambe

In the garden

Crambe orientalis belongs to the cabbage family, forming upright flowering stems that rise above a basal leaf rosette. Flower heads are carried well clear of the leaves and appear from June to August as tight clusters of small white or yellow blooms. Specimens of Crambe are valued where a sustained summer display of airy, whitish flowers is wanted at mid-border height. Position the plant in full sun and give it a soil that stays moist without sitting in water; it will cope with sandy, loamy or clay soils provided drainage is reasonable. In heavier clay improve surface drainage or plant on a slight rise so roots do not remain waterlogged. H6 hardiness means it tolerates most UK winters when established; the USDA range of 6–9 indicates similar temperate suitability elsewhere. Use Crambe orientalis towards the rear of mixed herbaceous borders or in sunny perennial groups where 1.2 m stems will not obscure lower neighbours. It works well in gardens with heavier soils that other sun-loving perennials avoid, and its open flower stems provide summer height without a dense canopy. After flowering, cut the stems back to the basal leaves to keep the clump tidy and encourage fresh growth.