Practical
Plants

Sanguisorba minor

Salad Burnet

a perennial evergreen member of the Sanguisorba genus in the family Rosaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Rosaceae
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Height
0.6 m
Spread
0.3 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Bees
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Edible uses

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

Young leaves and shoots - raw or cooked[7][15][16][2][10]. They are best used before the plant comes into flower[16]. Eaten in salads, used as a garnish or added to soups, cooling drinks and claret cups[6]. Young seedlings are boiled and eaten[6]. A bit fiddly to harvest and the leaves sometimes become bitter in hot dry summers, but they are usually fairly mild tasting in the winter and some people detect a cucumber flavour to them[K]. In the acid soil of our Cornish trial grounds, the leaves have a distinctly bitter flavour, though when the same plants were grown on a chalky soil they had a much milder flavour[K]. The leaves contain about 5.65% protein, 1.2% fat, 11% carbohydrate, 1.7% ash, 74.5% water[5]. A herb tea is made from the dried leaves[10][6].

Plant part
Leaves
Product or use
Tea

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

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

Both the root and the leaves are astringent, diaphoretic and styptic, though the root is most active[14]. The plant is an effective wound herb, quickly staunching any bleeding[12]. An infusion is used in the treatment of gout and rheumatism[12]. The leaves can be used fresh, or are harvested in July and dried (the plant should be prevented from flowering)[14]. The root is harvested in the autumn and dried[14]. An infusion of the leaves is used as a soothing treatment for sunburn or skin troubles such as eczema[9].

Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Diaphoretic
Product or use
Skin
Product or use
Styptic

Material uses

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

Plants have extensive root systems and are used for erosion control, they are also used to reclaim landfills and mined-out terrain[3].

Ecology and functions

Soil builder

Earth stabiliser

Environment

Range
Europe, including Britain, from Sweden south and east to France, Armenia and Iran.
Habitat
Grassland, usually on calcareous soils[16][4][13].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
high wind, maritime exposure
Wind
Yes
Maritime
Yes
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - sow March/April or September/October in a cold frame. Germinates in 3 weeks. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle into individual pots. Plant them out in the spring or early summer. The seed can also be sown in situ in spring or autumn if you have sufficient seed. Division in spring.

Cultivation

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

Prefers a light dry calcareous soil[1][13][8] but succeeds in most good soils[1][13]. Plants also succeed in poor soils[14]. One report says that it grows well in marshy soil[11] but this is possibly a mistake[K]. Dislikes shade[2]. Occasionally cultivated in the herb garden, this is an evergreen herbaceous plant and it supplies fresh edible leaves all the year round, even in quite severe winters[K]. When grown as a salad, the plant should be prevented from flowering[14]. Grows well in the spring meadow[11]. Makes a good edging plant in the border[8]. Plants often self-sow, sometimes to the point of nuisance[K].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Holtom. J. and Hylton. W. Complete Guide to Herbs. Rodale Press 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-87857-262-7

    ↩1↩2

  3. Natural Food Institute, Wonder Crops. 1987.

    ↩

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

    ↩

  5. Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977-00-00

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

  9. Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-304-34324-2

    ↩

  10. Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-553-23827-2

    ↩1↩2

  11. Baines. C. Making a Wildlife Garden.

    ↩1↩2

  12. Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs Pan Books Ltd. London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30725-8

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

  14. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

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