Description

Herbaceous, low-growing, sticky, and hairy annual. Has small thin leaves and pale pink flowers growing to 1⁄4 in (6 mm) across.

Habitat & Cultivation

Found in the wild throughout Europe, Asia, and Australia, sandwort thrives in sandy and gravelly places, especially close to the sea.

Parts Used

Aerial parts.

Medicinal Actions & Uses

Sandwort is a diuretic herb that is thought to relax the muscle walls of the urinary tubules and bladder. Sandwort is most commonly taken in the form of an infusion to treat kidney stones, acute and chronic cystitis, and other conditions of the bladder.

Related Species

Seabeach sandwort (A. peploides), a closely related northern plant, is eaten by the Inuit of Alaska as a fresh, pickled, or oil-preserved vegetable. In Iceland, this plant is fermented and eaten in the same way as sauerkraut. Rupturewort (Herniaria glabra), which is a European plant, has medicinal properties that are similar to those of sandwort.