Also known as sea spinach, Sea Beet is a common plant coastal areas, and has shiny dark-green oval leaves. It mostly grows on shingle, but also on sand dunes and along coastal paths. It grows up to 3 feet tall with spikes of small greenish flowers, which are in bloom for most of the summer. Young leaves can be eaten raw in salads; older leaves can be cooked and eaten in the same way as spinach - boiling until soft, then frying with a little seasoning. If the stems are tough, they should be removed.