Salsify
- To: m*@ucdavis.edu
- Subject: Salsify
- From: P* H*
- Date: Thu, 01 Jun 2000 12:21:01 -0700
Hey, folks. Hope your spring gardens are blooming nicely.
I'm interested in general info on purple salsify (Tragopogon
porrifolius) and yellow salsify (Tragopogon dubius). The CalFlora
database has very little info, probably because it is nonnative. It also
is known as "oyster plant." I have read somewhere that this plant was
introduced to North America by the early English colonists (food source)
and that it has successfully spread across the continent. Both the
yellow and purple varieties are in bloom here, sometimes in very large
colonies. I am interested in cultivating this plant, or at least
experimenting with it. It seems both cold hardy and drought tolerant and
could possibly hold its own in an early summer blooming border of
perennial daisies. The giant, dandelion like seed ball has aesthetic
value, too. Salsify doesn't quite measure up to Echinacea purpurea
"Magnus" for purple daisy flower power in the garden, but I thought I'd
play around with it and see what happens.
Do you European listers know anything about where salsify grows wild in
Europe? Anyone have any salsify cooking recipes?
For pictures, check out ...
http://www.calflora.org/
(do the search)
OR
http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/8253_3202/4144/0017.jpeg
Thanks in advance,
Paul Harrar
Nevada City, California
South Yuba River Watershed
2,700 ft.
