Practical
Plants

Lapsana communis

Nipplewort

an annual member of the Lapsana genus in the family Compositae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Lapsana
Life cycle
annual
Height
0.9 m
Spread
0.25 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera, Self
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera, Self

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Young leaves and shoots - raw or cooked[4][5][2][1]. They are best harvested before the plant comes into flower[6]. The leaves can be added to salads, cooked like spinach or added to soups and casseroles[6][3]. They have a bitter or radish-like taste[3].

Plant part
Leaves

Environment

Range
Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to N. Africa, western and central Asia.
Habitat
Waste ground, roadsides and walls, avoiding acid soils, in full sun or semi-shade[5][6].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
neutral, alkaline
Tolerances
high wind
Wind
Yes
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow in situ during the spring or as soon as it is ripe and only just cover the seed. Plants usually self sow when they are well-sited.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A fairly common garden weed, nipplewort will maintain itself in the garden so long as it is given some disturbed soil in which to self-sow. It is a fairly tolerant plant that succeeds in most soils, so long as they are not too acid, and dislikes heavy shade. It was at one time cultivated as a vegetable[2].

References

  1. Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press 1969-00-00 ISBN 0192176218

    ↩

  2. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  3. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2

  4. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

  5. Mabey. R. Food for Free. Collins 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-00-219060-5

    ↩1↩2

  6. Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981-00-00 ISBN 0-600-37216-2

    ↩1↩2↩3

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