Tragopogon hybridus 'Pasture Goatsbeard'

[Ex. Olbia, 50m., Sardinia, Italy]

Asteraceae: an attractive annual or short lived perennial to 70cm. found in grassy places and disturbed ground, usually near the sea. The flowers are 3-4cm across with pale purple florets. Flowers close up after mid-day and stay closed on dull mornings, blooming from June-July. The seed heads look like massive Dandelion clocks. The leaves are narrow and grass like. A rare introduction to the UK, which is occasionally found naturalised, mainly in Southern England. Native to the Mediterranean regions of Europe.

USES:

The root can be eaten raw or cooked. The young root can be grated in salads, older roots are best cooked. The flavour is mild and sweet, and is said to resemble oysters. The roots are harvested as required from October until early spring, or can be harvested in late autumn and stored until required. Young shoots can be eaten raw or cooked, the new growth is used in spring, and has a sweet taste. Flowering shoots can be raw or cooked, and used like asparagus. Flowers can be added raw to salads to add a bit of colour. The sprouted seeds can be added to salads or sandwiches.

Salsify is a cleansing food with a beneficial effect upon the liver and gallbladder. The root has antibilious, slightly aperient, deobstruent and diuretic properties. It is specific in the treatment of obstructions of the gall bladder and jaundice and is also used in the treatment of arteriosclerosis and high blood pressure.

GROWING INFORMATION:

Succeeds in ordinary garden soils, and prefers an open situation with a cool moist root run. Sow seeds in situ as early in the year as possible, in March if weather conditions permit. Seed sowing often fail unless the soil is kept moist until the seedlings are growing well!

NOTES: Collected these seeds last summer thinking that they where T. porrifolius, but on seeing the flowers I think it is more likely to be T. hybridus.

HARVESTED: 2023*

APPROX. 30 SEEDS