Salsify

Salsify is a biennial, so it spends its first year building leaves and a thick root and flowers in its second year. Its grass-like leaves form a rosette at the base, and the root can be eaten as a vegetable with an oyster-like flavor. Plants grow about 1.6 to 3.3 feet (0.5 to 1 m) tall, with purple-pink, dandelion-like flowers about 1 to 2 inches (3 to 5 cm) across.

Salsify is grown from seed sown directly outdoors. Reported sowing times differ: late summer or early winter, late spring, or early to mid spring. Sow seeds about ½ inch (1.3 cm) deep in rows roughly 18 to 24 inches (45 to 60 cm) apart, and don’t let the soil dry out before the seedlings appear. Seeds take about 8 to 10 days to germinate. Choose a spot in full sun with deep, light, free-draining soil; the plant also grows in sandy, loamy and clay soils.

Keep the soil moist but well drained. No pruning is needed. The plant is low maintenance overall.

Very few pests or diseases affect this plant. White rust and powdery mildew are possible. Seedlings and young plants may be damaged by slugs and snails. Mice and voles may eat the roots over winter.

The young root is harvested in its first year and used as a vegetable. The roots are best dug in late fall and winter. They taste best when collected before the plant flowers. Young roots can be grated raw into salads, while older roots should be cooked. Young shoots can be cooked like asparagus, and flowering shoots can be eaten raw or cooked.