Plant Details

Cochlearia officinalis

Scurvy Grass, Spoonwort

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Explore the size, hardiness, soil, light, edible uses and harvest period of Cochlearia officinalis.

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Common names

21 names · 17 languages
EnglishYour language
  • common scurvy-grass[1]
  • Scurvy Grass[1]
  • Spoonwort
Other languages (16)
Dutch
  • Echt lepelblad[1]
French
  • Cochléaire officinale[1]
Chinese (Simplified)
Czech
  • lžičník lékařský[1]
Danish
  • Læge-kokleare[1]
  • Lægekokleare[1]
Faroese
  • læknaeirisgras[1]
Finnish
  • rohtokuirimo[1]
German
  • Echtes Löffelkraut[1]
Icelandic
  • Skarfakál[1]
Irish
  • Biolar trá[1]
Norwegian
  • skjørbuksurt[1]
Polish
  • warzucha lekarska[1]
Portuguese
  • Cocleária[1]
Russian
  • Ложечница аптечная[1]
  • Ложечница лекарственная[1]
Slovak
  • lyžičník lekársky[1]
Swedish
  • skörbjuggsört[1]
Sources & name notes (1)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Cochlearia officinalis — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • Echt lepelblad — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 55838; Cochlearia officinalis.
  • Scurvy grass — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 55838; Cochlearia officinalis.
  • rohtokuirimo — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 55838; Cochlearia officinalis.
  • Cochléaire officinale — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 55838; Cochlearia officinalis.
  • lžičník lékařský — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 55838; Cochlearia officinalis.
  • Echtes Löffelkraut — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 55838; Cochlearia officinalis.
  • skjørbuksurt — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 55838; Cochlearia officinalis.
  • Ложечница лекарственная — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 55838; Cochlearia officinalis.
  • Cocleária — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 55838; Cochlearia officinalis.
  • Lægekokleare — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 55838; Cochlearia officinalis.
  • Læge-kokleare — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 55838; Cochlearia officinalis.
  • skörbjuggsört — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 55838; Cochlearia officinalis.
  • common scurvy-grass — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 55838; Cochlearia officinalis.
  • læknaeirisgras — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 55838; Cochlearia officinalis.
  • warzucha lekarska — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 55838; Cochlearia officinalis.
  • Skarfakál — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 55838; Cochlearia officinalis.
  • Biolar trá — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 55838; Cochlearia officinalis.
  • lyžičník lekársky — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 55838; Cochlearia officinalis.
  • 岩荠 — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 55838; Cochlearia officinalis.
  • Ложечница аптечная — results[0].names[20]; taxon id 55838; Cochlearia officinalis.

General information

Scientific name: Cochlearia officinalis
Accepted name (Kew): Cochlearia officinalis L. View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1]
Botanical family: Brassicaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Cochlearia (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Scurvy Grass, Spoonwort
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Herbaceous
Catalogue size class: Small
Height: 0.30 m
Spread: - m
Growth rate: None
Foliage: None

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 4-9
Soil moisture:
Moist
Soil:
Sand (light) Loam (medium) Clay (heavy)
pH:
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
Light:
Partial shade, Full sun

Uses

Edible parts:
Leaves
Edibility rating:
(1)
Medicinal rating:
(2)
Functions:
Bee forage

Description

Leaves can be eaten raw. They have a delicate and slightly bitter taste that can be added in small amounts to salads due to their high vitamin C content. The flavor is pleasantly sharp and may be less appealing to most people, although there are occasionally those who do enjoy it.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 01/05
Harvest ends: 30/06

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 780492; name ID 2729791; Cochlearia L.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 1353925; name ID 2729901; Cochlearia officinalis L..

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.