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Scorzonera Hispanica
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Dispatch by letter from €3.90.
Delivery charge from €5.90 Oversize package delivery charge from €6.90.
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This plant carries a 6 months recovery warranty
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We guarantee the quality of our plants for a full growing cycle, and will replace at our expense any plant that fails to recover under normal climatic and planting conditions.
Seed-only orders are dispatched by sealed envelope. The delivery charge for seed-only orders is €3.90.
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Scorzonera hispanica, also known as Spanish Scorzonera or black salsify, is an ancient vegetable, somewhat forgotten, to be rediscovered for its delicate flavour and high nutritional value. This perennial plant is cultivated as an annual or biennial, with its black and fleshy root consumed cooked and its young leaves in salads. It produces bright yellow heads in summer, carried at the end of slender stems. La Quintinie, the gardener of the Sun King, described it as follows: " [...] it is one of our main roots, admirable when cooked, both for the pleasure of taste and for the health of the body ". It is sown directly in place in spring for harvest in October.
Native to dry areas of the Caucasus and southern Europe, Scorzonera hispanica is a plant in the family Asteraceae, which differs from cultivated salsify, also consumed, known as Tragopogon porrifolius. Black salsify forms an upright rosette of lanceolate leaves, tapering at the top. The clumps measure 40cm (16in) in height and 20cm (8in) in width. The flowers appear in summer. They are bright yellow heads carried at the end of 1-metre (3 feet)-tall stems. The thick and long root can reach 1 metre (3 feet) in length and 2cm (1in) in width. Its fine and white flesh is covered with a black, somewhat rough skin. Unlike cultivated salsify, it does not become woody. It contains a significant amount of carbohydrates different from starch (inulin), and allantoin, a compound with well-known emollient properties. It is also rich in minerals such as potassium, iron, and calcium, as well as vitamin E. It also contains provitamin A, vitamins from the B and C groups, albeit in smaller quantities.
Plant Spanish Scorzonera in the vegetable garden, not far from carrots as it seems to protect them from flies. This plant requires a light, deep, and loose soil, free of stones, and a sunny location. Harvest the roots in autumn of the first year or, for August sowings, during the second season after flowering. The roots will then be much larger. The young leaves can be consumed raw in salads.
Flowering
Foliage
Plant habit
Botanical data
Sowing of black salsify is done directly in the open ground, preferably in loose, deep, light soil enriched with well-rotted manure. They can be done from March to May (annual culture) or in August-September (biennial culture). This second method yields higher root quality and yield, but requires a longer immobilized plot. Sow in deep furrows of 2cm (1in), with rows spaced 25cm (10in) apart. The soil should remain moist, which can be facilitated by mulching. Thin the seedlings when the plants have 3 leaves, keeping one every 10cm (4in).
Watering should be generous. If a plant produces a flower stem, it is preferable to remove it in order to strengthen the root. Black salsify can remain in the ground for up to 3 years.
Harvesting of black salsify is done from October to March, as needed. Harvesting is delicate, so it is best to use a fork spade: if the soil is slightly heavy, it is useful to dig a parallel trench to the sowing and tilt the plants into it. Mulch generously with dead leaves to facilitate winter harvesting.
Sowing period
Intended location
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Hardiness is the lowest winter temperature a plant can endure without suffering serious damage or even dying. However, hardiness is affected by location (a sheltered area, such as a patio), protection (winter cover) and soil type (hardiness is improved by well-drained soil).
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The flowering period indicated on our website applies to countries and regions located in USDA zone 8 (France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, etc.)
It will vary according to where you live:
In temperate climates, pruning of spring-flowering shrubs (forsythia, spireas, etc.) should be done just after flowering.
Pruning of summer-flowering shrubs (Indian Lilac, Perovskia, etc.) can be done in winter or spring.
In cold regions as well as with frost-sensitive plants, avoid pruning too early when severe frosts may still occur.
The planting period indicated on our website applies to countries and regions located in USDA zone 8 (France, United Kingdom, Ireland, Netherlands).
It will vary according to where you live:
The harvesting period indicated on our website applies to countries and regions in USDA zone 8 (France, England, Ireland, the Netherlands).
In colder areas (Scandinavia, Poland, Austria...) fruit and vegetable harvests are likely to be delayed by 3-4 weeks.
In warmer areas (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), harvesting will probably take place earlier, depending on weather conditions.
The sowing periods indicated on our website apply to countries and regions within USDA Zone 8 (France, UK, Ireland, Netherlands).
In colder areas (Scandinavia, Poland, Austria...), delay any outdoor sowing by 3-4 weeks, or sow under glass.
In warmer climes (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), bring outdoor sowing forward by a few weeks.