Asphodeline lutea 

'Yellow Asphodel'

[Ex. Plakenska planina, Macedonia]

Asphodelaceae: a clump-forming perennial to 1m. Found dry grassland, rocky and stony places, usually on limestone. The flowers are fragrant bright yellow, to 3cm across, in dense racemes. Blooming from June-July. A clump-forming perennial with narrow, channelled leaves. Native to Mediterranean in Southern and Eastern Europe, North Africa and east to the Caucasus.

USES:

The roots can be roasted. This food was highly valued by the ancient Greeks, who roasted the roots like potatoes and ate them with salt and oil or mashed them with figs. The roots are not very thick but are abundantly produced and have a nice nutty flavour. They can be harvested at any time of the year, but are best used when the plant is dormant in late summer and early autumn. They do not store well and should be used within a few weeks of harvest. The flowers can be used raw. They have a delightful sweetness, they are a very decorative and tasty addition to the salad bowl but should be used as soon as possible after harvesting.

GROWING INFORMATION:

Sow seeds from March/April in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination usually takes place in 1-3 months at 20-25°C. Once the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. An easily grown plant, it succeeds in ordinary garden soil, but requires a well-drained soil, doing well in sandy soils. Likes a warm sunny position, but tolerates partial shade. Plants are hardy to about -15°C. A very ornamental plant, though it looks very untidy in late summer when it dies down after flowering. It seems to be very wind resistant, tolerating maritime exposure on an exposed site in Cornwall. The flowers are sweetly scented. Plant hardy here in County Durham, but don't like being over crowded. 

HARVESTED: 2023

 
APPROX. 50 SEEDS