Sea Pickle

Sea pickle found by a student!

Have you heard of Sea Pickle, Pickleweed or Glasswort? All common names for the genus Salicornia (and there are several other common names we’ve heard too!). These extremely salt-tolerant succulents are found salt and brackish water marshes along the coast. Some people enjoy using them in salads to add a salty, crunchy flavor while others will use the plant as a sea-salt flavor in dishes once sautéed. 

To identify this succulent, look for a long segmented small plant grown in clumps along the high marsh zone of the salt marsh. This zone is occasionally inundated with salt water and the plants here have special adaptations for this harsh environment. Sea pickle is a bright green color but it will turn a stunning bright red during the fall. It is encouraged when foraging just to harvest the tips off of the plant. This allows the plant to continue to grow even after harvesting a little snack of it.

On Capers if you are looking to find sea pickle, head towards the washout area. This area looks as though a huge wave washed through the island almost cutting it in to two smaller islands. The washout is an area that does get “washed” out during storms. Not every storm has a high enough tide to do so. The Nor’easter’ of December 2017, 2023 was the last big storm that the water was so deep cutting through the washout that we couldn’t get to the other side of Capers during a low tide tour. (Thankfully it filled in with sand!) As you cut through the washout head towards where the impoundment is. Look along the edges of the washout area. That is where we find sea pickle on Capers!