Practical
Plants

Reichardia picroides

French Scorzonera

a perennial member of the Reichardia genus in the family Compositae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.45 m
Spread
0.3 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

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

Leaves - raw or cooked[4][6][7][9][1]. Mild and good[7]. A pleasant agreeable flavour with a slight sweetness and very little fibre, it makes a very acceptable lettuce substitute and we use it in large quantities in salads[K]. The older leaves seem to be even nicer, even when the plant is in flower[K]. Root - raw or cooked[4][2][3].

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Root

Environment

Range
S. Europe.
Habitat
Cultivated soil and waste places[8].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - sow March/April in a warm position outdoors and then in succession if required until the autumn. Only just cover the seed. Germination is usually very good and quick. We usually make a sowing in the spring in the greenhouse, pricking out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle, and then planting them out in late spring or early summer. Established plants can self-sow quite freely in disturbed ground.

Cultivation

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

Easily grown in any moderately fertile well-drained soil in a sunny position[5]. Grows best in a shady position in summer[7], where it will produce better quality leaves[K]. It prefers plenty of moisture in the growing season[5], though it is fairly drought tolerant once established[K]. Plants are very tolerant of poor soils[K]. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c[5]. It is likely to be hardier when grown in a soil on the poor soil, though the leaves will not be so tender nor so freely produced[K]. Plants are also likely to be hardier in well-drained soils and dislike very wet weather[K]. Plants are often short-lived, though they are self-sowing quite freely in Cornwall[K]. A very easily grown plant, it has also proved to be almost totally slug-proof, even in a very heavily slug-infested garden[K]. Formerly cultivated as a cut and come again salad crop in S. Europe[6][7], producing a harvestable yield within 10 weeks of sowing the seed[K]. This plant is possibly useful as a winter salad crop, growing in a sunny fairly sheltered position in Cornwall it has been yielding very well and continuously for a period of 18 months since the summer of 1993[K]. It requires more investigation[K].

References

  1. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩

  2. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

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

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

    ↩1↩2

  5. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Vilmorin. A. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press ISBN 0-89815-041-8

    ↩1↩2

  7. Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. 1878-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  8. ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964-00-00

    ↩

  9. Larkcom. J. Salads all the Year Round. Hamlyn 1980-00-00

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