Oyster Leaf (Mertensia maritima) Seeds Seeds Piccolo Seeds
Oyster Leaf (Mertensia maritima) Seeds — Default Title
Oyster Leaf (Mertensia maritima) Seeds Seeds Piccolo Seeds
Oyster Leaf (Mertensia maritima) Seeds Seeds Piccolo Seeds
Piccolo Seeds

Oyster Leaf (Mertensia maritima) Seeds

Blue-grey leaves that taste salty and mineral, like oysters

£2.99

Sold out. FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

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Description

Key benefits

  • Blue-grey leaves that taste salty and mineral, like oysters
  • Eat raw with fish and seafood or in salads
  • Sky-blue summer flowers open from pink buds
  • Low hardy perennial, ideal for a pot or raised bed
  • Packet of 5 seeds with growing instructions

Oyster leaf is a chef's herb with a flavour like no other: thick, blue-grey leaves that taste of oysters, salty and mineral, with no shellfish in sight. Mertensia maritima is a low, sprawling coastal plant native to northern shores, including Britain, also known as sea bluebells. Its fleshy, waxy leaves are joined in summer by sprays of small sky-blue flowers that open from pink buds. Eat the leaves raw with fish and seafood or in salads.

Sowing and growing

  • Needs cold to germinate: sow in gritty compost in autumn or winter and leave in a cold frame, or chill sown pots in the fridge for 4 to 6 weeks before moving them to 15 to 20°C
  • Depth: 5mm
  • Germination: slow and erratic, from three weeks to several months
  • Position: full sun in very free-draining, sandy or gritty soil; ideal in a pot or raised bed
  • Height: about 20cm, with a spread of 30cm
  • Harvest: pick leaves sparingly once plants are established, spring to autumn
  • Hardy perennial; protect from slugs and snails from the moment seedlings appear

What you receive: a packet of 5 seeds from Piccolo Seeds, with growing instructions on the back. Sow each seed in its own small pot.

Oyster leaf sits well with the rest of our exotic edibles. Find pots and gritty seed compost in propagation, and browse all our seeds.

How to use
  1. Sow each seed 5mm deep in its own small pot of gritty compost.
  2. Give the seed cold: leave pots in a cold frame over autumn or winter, or chill them in the fridge for 4 to 6 weeks, then move to 15 to 20°C.
  3. Grow in full sun in very free-draining, sandy or gritty soil.
  4. Protect seedlings from slugs and snails as soon as they appear.
Delivery and returns

Every order is hand-packed and sent with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? You can return unused items within 14 days of delivery. See our returns policy.

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Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I germinate oyster leaf seeds?

The seed needs a period of cold below about 2°C before it will sprout. Sow it in gritty compost and leave the pots in a cold frame over winter, or chill them in the fridge for four to six weeks before bringing them into gentle warmth. Germination is slow and uneven, so keep the pots for several months.

Does oyster leaf really taste like oysters?

Yes, the fleshy leaves have a distinctly briny, mineral flavour that most people compare to a fresh oyster. It is strongest eaten raw, so add the leaves at the last moment rather than cooking them.

Can I grow oyster leaf in a pot?

A pot is often the best choice, because it lets you give the very sharp drainage the plant needs and keeps slugs at bay. Use a gritty, sandy mix in a pot about 30cm wide and place it in full sun.

What is your returns policy?

Changed your mind? You can return pots, gifts, accessories and other non-plant items. Email hello@growtropicals.com with your order number within 14 days of delivery, then send the item back within 14 days of telling us. You pay the return postage.

Items must come back unused and in their original condition. If an item has been used, we may reduce your refund by the value it has lost, and for used items this can be the full price.

Live plants cannot be returned because you have changed your mind, but they are covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

If something arrives damaged, faulty or wrong, email us with your order number and photos and we will put it right at no cost to you. Full details are in our returns policy.

When will my order arrive and how much is shipping?

Choose your delivery speed at checkout. Express orders placed before 1pm are dispatched the same day, otherwise the next working day. Standard orders are dispatched within 2 to 3 working days and Economy orders within 4 to 5 working days. Once dispatched, every order travels by 24 hour tracked courier.

Delivery is free on orders over £60 with Economy, over £100 with Standard and over £150 with Express. Below that, the charge depends on your basket total and is always shown at checkout before you pay. The full price list is in our shipping policy.

Orders without plants are dispatched Monday to Friday. If your order also includes plants, it goes out Monday to Thursday so the plants are not left in the courier network over the weekend. Delivery can take longer at busy times such as Black Friday and Christmas.

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Why Grow Tropicals

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Packed with care

Packed with care

Every order is hand-packed in protective packaging and sent with tracked delivery, so it reaches you in one piece.

Free tracked delivery on orders over £60.

Ready to give

Ready to give

Add a gift message at checkout and we will handwrite it and pack it with your order.

Pair it with a plant for a complete gift.

Easy returns

Easy returns

Changed your mind? Send unused items back within 14 days of delivery and we will refund you.

Full details in our returns policy.

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Oyster Leaf (Mertensia maritima) Seeds
£2.99