Common salsify

Plant family

Daisy family (Asteraceae)

Also known as

Purple Salsify, Oyster Plant, Vegetable Oyster, Jerusalem Star, Jack Go to Bed

Season Overview

Details

Light requirement

Semi-shaded

Water requirement

Wet

Soil

Medium (loamy)

Nutrient requirement

Medium

Light germinator

Seeding distance

7 cm

Row spacing

30 cm

Seeding depth

2 cm

Instructions

Description

The oat root, also known as white root, purple buckbeard or habermark, belongs to the genus of buckbeards (Tragopogon) and the family of composite plants (Asteraceae). The taste is sweet-aromatic and sometimes reminiscent of oysters, which is why the plant is sometimes called a vegetable oyster. It produces many purple, decorative flowers in the 2nd year, which are edible. It is hardy and grows up to 1.2 m tall. The actual oat root is white, with milky flesh, and grows between 20-30 cm long and about 5 cm thick. It is low in calories and high in protein and is also used as a remedy.

Growing tips

Cultivation as for salsify. Water sufficiently in dry periods, otherwise the roots will become woody and the plant will start to shoot. Harvest with a digging fork and wrap in sand for storage and store in the dark. For winter harvesting, cover the beds slightly with straw. The shoots of the plant are also edible, for this cut off the leaves in winter and mound the roots about 10-15 cm. Then in the spring the shoots can be harvested. Does not need to be fertilized during growth, but preparing the soil with fertilizer is useful. Remove weeds. The milky sap of the roots can discolor hands and clothing, so peeling or cutting is best done under water.