Compositae. An evergreen perennial groundcover. Hardy to zone 4 and is not frost tender. Does well in most well-drained soils in sun or semi-shade. The plants have a very long flowering season, even produces a few flowers in mild winters. Seeds ripen from May to October. Division after flowering. Very easy, though spring and early summer are best. The divisions can be planted straight into their permanent positions.
Great Lawn Substitute, a good plant for the spring meadow.

Companion: The yellow flowers pollinated by Bees, flies and beetles.

Uses:Leaves - raw or cooked. A pleasant sour flavor, mild and tasty in salads. Occasionally used as a potherb. Flower buds and petals - raw. Eaten in sandwiches, soups and salads.

The flowers and leaves are normally used fresh in decoctions, ointments and poultices. Traditional wound herb and useful in treating sickly children. Research (1994) focused on possibility of using the plant in HIV therapy. Traditional reputation as a cure for fresh wounds, treating breast cancers. An ointment made from the leaves is applied externally to wounds, bruises etc. Chewing the fresh leaves is said to be a cure for mouth ulcers.
A distilled water is used internally to treat inflammatory disorders of the liver. A strong tea of the roots has been recommended for the treatment of scurvy and eczema, though it needs to be taken for some time before its effect becomes obvious. A mild tea may ease the respiratory tract, rheumatic pains and painful or heavy menstruation.
The plant, harvested when in flower, is used as a homeopathic remedy in the treatment of bruising.
An insect repellent spray can be made from an infusion of the leaves.
Origin: Britain

Boraginaceae. Self-seeding annual to 3 feet. Full to mostly sunny spot, likes average, dry soil, moderate water. Deep blue, star-shaped flowers appear on droopy heads. Keep flowers deadheaded for a longer bloom-succession. Tall plant covered with bristly hairs, the leaves are oval & hairy with fluted edges. Place plants in groups for best visual effect.

Companion: A great bee, butterfly & hummingbird plant.

Uses: Flowers & leaves have fresh cucumber flavor. Flowers can be candied for sweets, tossed into salads, summertime drinks, used as edible garnish. Leaves can be steamed and eaten like spinach. Tender young leaves (the less bristly ones) can be torn into salads for a crisp cucumber flavor. Leaves good for a salt-free diet, high in calcium, potassium and mineral salts.

Umbelliferae. Perennial to 2". Hardy to zone 5. Partial sun; Average soil & water needs.
If you're growing for the root make sure your bed is well tilled and loose. White flowers from June to July, seeds ripen from July to August. Division in spring or autumn, every other year

Companion: Pollinated by Insects

Uses: Leaves - raw or cooked. Leaves are a parsley substitute. Used as a garnish and a flavoring to salads, sandwiches, etc. Root - raw or cooked. A delicious taste, like sweet chestnuts when cooked, the tubers are very small. Seed and flowers are used as a flavoring, they are a cumin substitute.

Labiatae. Perennial to 18 inches. Full to partial sun, average soil & water needs. A delicate looking plant with nettle-like leaves on hairy, square stems and long-lasting purple flowers in the summer. Pennyroyal scented. A great plant for hard to fill areas.

Companion: Bees & butterflies

Harvest: leaves anytime.

Uses: Leaves contain camphor-like essential oils. Leaf tea for colds, coughs, fever and colic.
Infused as a tisane, has a peppermint flavor. Decoct as a syrup for coughs.
Make a poultice of leaves for bruises.

Origin: Europe

Culinary. Medicinal.
Compositae. Re seeding Annual to 2'. Moderate water needs, average soil, full sun. Easy to grow. Lovely yellow-orange flowers from early summer to frost. Pick flowers to keep blooms coming.

Companion: Attracts butterflies

Uses: Infuse as a tea to aid digestion, or to add light peppery flavor.
Saffron substitute. Use petals lavishly to add color and a tangy flavor to rice, fish & meat soups, soft cheese, butter, omelettes, cakes and sweet breads.

Add petals to creams and baths for cleansing, healing and softening the skin. Flowers have been used in salves since before the 1600s.
Boil the flower for a pale yellow dye.
Great as a hair rinse for redheads and as a tint for auburn hair.
Origin: Antiquity. Ancient Egyptians used it as an invigorating herb, Hindus consider it sacred and used it to decorate temple altars, Ancient Greeks, Romans & Persians used it like saffron. Is considered a symbol of death in Mexico. Among the first herbs brought to New England by the colonists.

Campanulaceae. Biennial growing to 2'. Hardy to zone 4. In flower from July to August, seeds ripen from August to September. Easy to grow, sun or partial shade, succeeds in most good soils .Tolerates a pH in the range 4.8 to 7.5. Doesn't hybridize, seed comes true. Companion: The flowers are pollinated by Bees, flies, beetles,Moths & Butterflies. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer
Uses: Rationally, cultivated for its edible root. When grown for its edible root, the plant should not be allowed to flower.
Root - raw or cooked. A very nice sweet flavor, like walnuts. Best mixed with other root vegetables or used in winter salads. Leaves - raw or cooked as a potherb. A mild, slightly sweet flavor, good raw in salads. Leaves are rich in vitamin C. Young shoots in spring can be blanched and cooked like asparagus.
Origin: Europe - Mediterranean

Fagaceae. A deciduous tree growing to 30’. It is hardy to zone 4. Prefers a good well-drained slightly acid loam but succeeds in dry soils. Once established, it is very drought tolerant. Can be used as a shade tree, or planted in rows as a windbreak. Flowers are produced on wood of the current year's growth. In flower in July, and the seeds ripen in October. Trees fruit in 5 - 7 years. Moderate growth rate. Good wildlife tree. Responds well to coppicing.

Companion: The flowers are are pollinated by Insects. The Chinese chestnut is Resistant, but not immune, to the American chestnut blight. Resistant to honey fungus. Soil-enriching understorey in pine forests.
The plants aren't self fertile so more than one seedling or variety must be planted.

Uses: Extensively cultivated for its edible seed in China.
Seed - raw or cooked. Eaten raw, slight astringency, so make sure to remove the inner skin beneath the outer shell of the seed. When cooked or baked, the seed becomes much sweeter and can be used as a staple food like potatoes or cereals. The seed is low in fats and oils but high in carbohydrates.
Seed (Dry weight) grams per 100g weight of food: Calories: 403, Protein: 11.9, Fat: 2.7, Carbohydrate: 83.2, Fiber: 2.2
In milligrams per 100g weight of food: Calcium: 36, Vita minA: 168, Thiamine: 0.29, Riboflavin: 0.32, Niacin: 1.44, VitaminC: 65,
Medicinal Uses The seed cases are rich in tannin and are astringent. A tea is used in the treatment of diarrhea, nose bleed, dysentery, regurgitation and intense thirst.
Traditional use of flowers are in the treatment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The stem bark is used to treat poisoned wounds. The stem sap is used to treat Lacquer Poisoning, a form of hydrocarbon poisoning.
Other Uses: The bark, leaves, wood and seed husks all contain tannin.
Wood is hard, strong, light. Used for fence posts, fuel, etc.

Hardy to zone 3. Grows to 3' A decorative woodland plant. The stem and leaves have a blue/gray cast. Inconspicuous flowers are followed by small, blue, seed-bearing fruits. The roots have been used for their properties as a demulcent, anti-spasmodic, emmenogogue and diuretic. This is a powerful abortifacient, and should be used with caution if at all.

Semi-evergreen shrub. Full sun, well-drained, medium loam. Lanky plant, prune lightly to keep neat. Long-lasting flowers pink to white in clusters in summer. Plant 18 inches apart. Take cuttings in fall as insurance or keep in pots and bring in for the winter. Excellent house or conservatory plant. Leaves have a lemon-camphor scent.
Companion: A great bee and butterfly plant.

Uses: Pick boughs for fresh arrangements. Use leaves & flowers dried in potpourri for spicy, woodsy scent; infuse in alcohol with other perfume ingredients.

Origin: Native to the Canary Islands and Madeira, accounting for it's other common name, Canary Balm. Not the true Balm of Gilead (Commiphora opobalsamum), a gift to Solomon from the Queen of Sheba. Cedronella does, however, share the musky balsam scent.

Chenopodiaceae. Hardy perennial to 2.5 feet. Partial sun, average soil & water needs. Reaches full size the second year. Tiny golden-green flowers on spikes above leaves. Large, bright green, arrowhead-shaped leaves, 2 to 8 inches long. Feed during the growing season with any vegetable-garden fertilizer; divide the root clumps of mature plants. Don't allow flowers to mature, all seeds are viable.

Harvest: Young leaves sparingly the first year. Until the plants are three years old, cut only a few leaves at time to avoid injuring the plant. They taste best in the spring. Early shoots cut like asparagus: Cover the plant roots with 4 to 5 inches of leaf mold or compost in the fall, shielding them from light to ensure that the spring shoots will be blanched white and tender. Cut the shoots off just beneath the soil's surface.

Uses: Leaves are very nutritious. Eat raw or cooked for iron, vitamins A & C and minerals. Can be used with or instead of spinach. Great in salad, with steamed vegetables, vegetarian lasagne, souffles, etc. Flower spikes steamed like broccoli.
Plant is used to fatten-up chickens. Leaf tea used to clean wounds and skin sores.
Origin: In use since the Neolithic times. Got it's common name in Germany to distinguish it from "bad Henry" (poisonous mercury)

Papaveraceae. Hardy Perennial to 2' at a fast rate. Yellow flowers May - August, Succeeds in any soil other than boggy conditions. Shade tolerant. Forms a high ground cover and self-sows freely. Use in mow-able area or wild places because of their invasive nature, or deadhead.

Companion: Pollinated by Bees, flies and beetles. Harvest: Spring as it flowers, best fresh, but can be dried for later use. Roots in Fall & dried for later use.

**Entire plant is poisonous; very low toxicity & greatly reduced by drying the plant. Stem sap can irritate & be allergenic. Large doses cause sleepiness, skin irritation, respiratory tract irritation, violent coughing.
Stains urine yellow & may cause ulcers.

Uses: In modern herbal medicine, used as mild sedative, antispasmodic & detoxifying herb, relaxing bronchial tube muscles, intestines & other organs. Sap used externally to treat warts, ringworm, corns, removes film from the cornea. Leaves & sap used to treat bronchitis, whooping cough, asthma, jaundice, gallstones, gallbladder pains. Anticancer properties and is analgesic. Important component of a stomach ulcer drug.
Plant contains the alkaloid chelidonine, similar to papaverine found in poppies. Contains the alkaloid sparteine, which restores normal rhythm to feeble arrhythmic myocardia.

Entire plant yields wonderful yellow dye.

A vigorous annual to 4’. Large leaves, the new growth is a brilliant magenta color. Easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils but disliking shade. It prefers a moderately fertile soil.

Uses: Leaves - cooked as a spinach substitute.

The raw leaves should only be eaten in small quantities, to avoid toxicity.
**People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition.
The seed is small, it should be soaked in water overnight and thoroughly rinsed before it is used in order to remove any saponins.

Seed - cooked. Ground into a powder and used with wheat or other cereals in making bread etc. Tastiest when young, the leaves are eaten raw or cooked like spinach.

Gold/green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant

E. Asia - N. India. Naturalized in S. France

Chenopodiaceae. Annuals or short-lived perennials to 2 feet. Easily grown plant, Full sun & moderately fertile soil. Strongly scented leaves to 5 inches long, deeply toothed. Flowers in summer followed by edible seeds in fall.

Pollination: wind. This species is sometimes grown as a medicinal and culinary plant, especially in its native Mexico.

Uses: Leaves - cooked. The leaves are added in small quantities as a flavoring for various cooked bean dishes because their carminative activity can reduce flatulence.The tender leaves are sometimes used as a potherb, as a condiment in soups etc.
Seed - cooked. The seed is small , it should be soaked in water overnight and thoroughly rinsed before it is used in order to remove any saponins.

An infusion of the leaves is a tea substitute.
Medicinal Uses: Effective against most parasites, including the amoeba that causes dysentery, but is less effective against tapeworm. Fasting should not precede its use and there have occasionally been cases of poisoning caused by this treatment. Essential oil: obtained from the seed or the flowering stems, used externally to treat athlete's foot and insect bites.
Other Uses: Insecticide; Dye. The plant is used as a fumigant against mosquitoes and is also added to fertilizers to inhibit insect larvae. Gold/green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant.
Origin:Mexico, Central & South America. Naturalized in S. Europe
WARNING: Use with caution, not for pregnant women. The plant can cause dermatitis or other allergic reactions. The leaves and seeds of all members of this genus are more or less edible. However, many of the species in this genus contain saponins, though usually in quantities too small to do any harm. Although toxic, saponins are poorly absorbed by the body and most pass straight through without any problem. They are also broken down to a large extent in the cooking process. Saponins are found in many foods, such as some beans. Saponins are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish. The plants also contain some oxalic acid, which in large quantities can lock up some of the nutrients in the food. However, even considering this, they are very nutritious vegetables.

Compositae. Perennial to 18". Full sun, moderate water needs, well-drained soil. Transplant to 6 inches apart. Not recommended for growing indoors. Divide every 3-4 years. Looks much like German chamomile, don't get them mixed up! Do NOT take internally!

Companion: The variety most recommended for use as a natural insect spray. Acts directly on the nervous systems of aphids, mites, leafhoppers, cabbage worms and other insects.

Harvest: buds & flowers when full open. Dry in a cool dark place to preserve insecticide. Use gloves when processing the flowers, as prolonged contact may cause mild allergy.

Uses: Sprinkle dried flowers to deter all common insects. To make Pyrethrum spray: mix 1 Tbsp. of freshly ground pyrethrum flowers with 2 quarts of hot water, add a little soap for surfactant. Let stand 20 minutes before using. Caution: This spray also kills beneficial insects, so use carefully! Spray at dusk so plants and beneficials will be safe by morning (solution decomposes rapidly).
Dust or make paste with water to repel fleas & lice.

Compositae. Perennial to 3 feet. Full to part sun, well drained average soil, moderate water needs, drought tolerant. Not suitable for growing indoors. Lacy plant with small white, button flowers.

Companion: Bouquets of cut flowers in the house will discourage insects from buzzing around. Scatter dried leaf in closets to deter moths. Used externally as an insect repellent and for treating insect bites. Contains the compound pyrethrin, a natural insecticide. Plant near insect-prone plants, but don't plant near anything that needs pollination, insects will steer clear of feverfew. Do not eat flowers. Pregnant women should not use the herb, and some people have developed mouth ulcers or experienced loss of taste from eating the fresh leaves.
Uses:Infuse leaf sparingly as a tea for a mild sedative and to relieve muscle spasms and migraines. The tea, drunk cold, may also relieve skin perspiration associated with migraines, and has been used to stimulate appetite, improve digestion and kidney function, lower blood pressure, stomach irritation and a renewed sense of well-being. May also relieve dizziness, tinnitus and painful or sluggish menstruation. Three leaves on bread & butter has long been a treatment for migraines. Infuse as a mouthwash for recent dental work.
Bruised or infused, the leaves can be used externally as an effective healing, soothing wash. Add flowers to potpourri, use dried leaf in sachets to discourage moths.
Origin: Ancient. Native to SW Europe and brought to America originally as an ornamental.

Perennial to 3' Hardy to zone 3, in flower from July to October. Shade is best. A cool weather crop, it tolerates only moderate summer temperatures and requires moist, well drained soil.

Companions: Pollinated by Bees, noted for attracting wildlife.
The flowers are added to a compost heap in order to speed up bacterial activity and shorten the time needed to make the compost.

Harvest: The root can be used fresh or dried, it is best harvested in the autumn. The leaves are harvested as the plant comes into flower and can also be dried for later use.
The leaves are bitter when the plants are flowering. The leaves are blanched by excluding light, either by removing all the leaves and then earthing up the new growth, or by covering the plant with a bucket or something similar. This reduces any bitterness, but there is also a loss of vitamins and minerals.

Uses: Leaves - raw or cooked. The blanched leaves are often used in winter salads (they are known as chicons) and are also cooked. The unblanched leaves are much less bitter in winter and make an excellent addition to salads. 


Roots are used in seasoning soups, sauces and gravies, and to give a rich deep color. 

 Young roots have a slightly bitter caramel flavor when roasted, roots over 2 years old are bitter.
Root, cooked like parsnip, are a tasty vegetable.

Traditionally an ideal food for diabetics because of its inulin content. Inulin is a starch that cannot be digested by humans, the inulin can be used to make a sweetener that is suitable for diabetics to use. Chicory-root is free of harmful ingredients, basically a concentrated combination of three sugars (pentose, levulose and dextrose) along with taraxarcine (the bitter principle of dandelion). Important source of levulose.

Long history of herbal use and is especially for its tonic affect on the liver and digestive tract, little used in modern herbalism. 

 

The root extracts have experimentally produced a slower and weaker heart rate (pulse). The plant merits research for use in heart irregularities. 

 

The latex in the stems is applied to warts in order to destroy them.
Other Uses: The roots have the potential as production of biomass for industrial use. They are rich in the starch ‘inulin’ which can easily be converted to alcohol.


A blue dye has been obtained from the leaves. 

 Origin: Britain

Hardy Perennial, 4 to 6 feet. Easily grown in average, medium moisture soils in part shade to full shade. Prefers a soil that is rich in organic material and humus, moisture-retentive. Foliage tends to scorch if allowed to dry out. Slow to establish.

No serious insect or disease problems. Rust and leaf spot occasionally.

Contains triterpene glycosides, resin, salycilates, isoferulic acid, sterols, and alkaloids. This plant was used by Native Americans for a myriad of problems, including headache (salycilates, the forerunner of aspirin).

It is still used in western medicine for tinnitus (ringing of the ears), and by herbalists to increase the intensity of uterine contractions during childbirth. Administration should not be a self-application, but should be monitored by a physician, or N.D. Even moderate doses can affect the nervous system, induce vomiting, and lower the pulse.

The common name of bugbane is due to the insect repellant properties of this plant.

Cohosh -Algonquin for 'rough', referring to the rhizomes.

Cistaceae. Hardy perennial to 4 feet high & wide. Needs sunny spot, well-limed soil with good drainage. Plant out when danger of frost has past. Will tolerate poor soil and drought once established. Shrubby plants with leaves to 4" long, producing a white, 5 petaled flower resembling a rose. Individual flowers are short lived, but blooming season is long. Can be evergreen in mild winters. Prune out older, woody stems to encourage vigorous growth. Pinch tips for bushiness. Trim entire plant by no more than one-third in early Fall. Great for bank cover, rambling hedge, screen or interplanted with lilacs, roses, lavenders. Use along walkways, driveways, wild, neglected areas. Great for erosion control.
The leaves have an aromatic resin obtained by boiling & skimming the surface. The resin is a perfume fixative and substitute for ambergris.

Campanulaceae. Perennial climber to 5'. Hardy to zone 6 but the young growth in spring is frost tender. Needs fertile, moist, well-drained, & full or part sun. Prefers acid and neutral soils. In flower from June to August, and the seeds ripen from August to September. Protect from slugs.

Companion: Pollinated by Insects.

Harvest: In the third year, roots of plants are harvested in the autumn and can be used fresh or dried

Use: Root is edible - raw or cooked. An important herb in Chinese medicine, it is a gentle tonic that increases energy levels, promotes alertness and helps the body adapt to stress. The root is similar in action to ginseng (Panax species), but it is milder and has a shorter-lasting effect. It acts mainly on the spleen, lungs and stomach, raising secretion of body fluids and blood sugar

Convallariaceae
Perennial growing to 8" . It is hardy to zone 3. It is in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen in October. Plants can be grown as a ground cover in woodland shade or under shrubs. Good for Bog Garden, Woodland, Sunny or Shady Edge, Dappled Shade, Deep Shade, Ground Cover.
A polymorphic species. It is a very ornamental plant, it can become invasive once it is established. Plants can take a couple of years to become established.
Apply fertilizer during the growing season. Division in September. Very easy, replant direct into their permanent positions. All parts of the plant are poisonous. However, the toxic principle is very poorly absorbed when taken orally so poisoning is unlikely to occur. The leaves can be a mild skin irritant.

Companion: The scented flowers are pollinated by Bees and flies. The plant is self-fertile. Noted for attracting wildlife. Immune to the nibbling rabbits. A good bee plant. protect from slugs for the 1st few seasons.

Harvest: When in flower and can be dried for later use, though it is stronger acting when fresh. The inflorescence is the most active medicinally and is often harvested separately.

Edible Use: A wine can be prepared from the flowers, mixed with raisins.
Medicinal Uses: Lily of the valley has a long traditional use in herbal medicine in the treatment of heart complaints. It contains the glycosides convallarin and convallamarin which are powerful cardiac tonics and diuretics and are also used in allopathic medicine. However, because of the plants potential toxic properties, it should never be used without expert advice.

An infusion of the flowers and roots is a digitalis substitute (obtained from Digitalis species), though less powerful. Useful in the treatment of valve heart diseases, cardiac debility, dropsy and chronic lung problems such as emphysema, Lily of the valley encourages the heart to beat more slowly, regularly and efficiently. Strongly diuretic, reducing blood volume and lowering blood pressure. Its effect is less cumulative than digitalis which makes it safer for elderly patients. It is often prescribed combined with the fruits of Hawthorn. An ointment made from the roots is used to treat burns and prevent scar tissue.

Other Uses: An essential oil is obtained from the flowers, used in perfume and snuff.
A green dye is obtained from the leaves in spring. A yellow dye is obtained from the leaves in autumn.

Umbelliferae. Annual to 2 feet. Needs moderate water and full sun in spring, partial to full sun in summer. Do successive plantings every few weeks throughout the year, deeper into the shade as season warms up, then back out into the sun as the days shorten and cool.

Companion: Do not plant near dill or fennel. Allow to flower only if you are interested in seed production (coriander).

Harvest: Pick leaves as needed for salsa, East Indian cooking or in salads, soups and stews. Freeze leaves or place their stems in water and cover with a plastic bag to retain freshness.

Uses: Leaves: Add fresh to curries, sausages, stews, salads, sauces and salsas. Blend with yogurt & Indian chutney for a condiment. Roots are pounded with garlic in Thai cooking.
Stem: Cook with beans and soups.
Seed: Use in chutney, apple pies, cakes, biscuits and marmalade. Add to soups, sauces and steamed vegetables. Chew or infuse seed as a tea for a mild sedative and digestive tonic.

Origin: China- 5000 B.C. Used by Moses & the Hebrews in the Old Testament; Greeks and Romans circa 600 B.C.; Grown by Charlemagne and in the Benedictine monastery gardens of St. Gall, Switzerland.

Compositae Annual growing to 2’. Sun. Succeeds in ordinary garden soil. Established plants are drought resistant. Maroon flowers June to September, seeds ripen from June to October.

Companions: Pollinated by Bees. Noted for attracting wildlife.

Harvest: The flowers can be dried for later use.

Uses: A tea can be made from the dried plant. Also as a coffee substitute.
An infusion of the whole plant without the root has been used by women desiring a female baby.
A yellow dye (red with an acid mordant) from the flowers and is used to dye cloth.

Gramineae. Tender Perennial to 3 feet. Densely tufted grass with fragrant lemon-scented foliage. 
Requires full sun and is drought resistant.  Keep potted to bring in for the winter. Once a month, apply 1/2 strength liquid fertilizer for vegetables. Flush plant with fresh water once a month to prevent a build-up of mineral salts.

Harvest: Trim blades anytime, divide in Fall or Spring.

Uses: Leaves and stalks are chopped or crushed to infuse their flavor in liquids or added to stir fries and sautes. Bulbous stems and leaves are used in Asian cooking and teas, as a garnish in soups or salads.
Infuse as an herbal tea to tone the body's tissue and eliminate mucus from the body. Great for cold symptoms-relief.
May be used externally as a skin toner due to its soothing and astringent qualities, use as a relaxant in bath water. Add to perfume, soaps, lotions.

Origin: Native of India and Sri Lanka.

Tender perennial to 4’.
Rose-scented grass from India, the plant is very decorative. Requires full sun and is drought resistant.  Keep potted to bring in for the winter. Once a month, apply 1/2 strength liquid fertilizer for vegetables. Flush plant with fresh water once a month to prevent a build-up of mineral salts.

Aromatic; the plant is suitable for use in sachets and potpourri.
Medicinal: treats lumbago and skin problems. Said to promote skin cell renewal.
Commercial source of geraniol and palmarosa oil, which are used in perfumes, cosmetics.
Repellent to insects or other pests.

Compositae. Perennial 3-4 feet. Plants need well drained, average soil. Keep soil evenly moist but not soggy. Full to part sun. Vegetable closely related to artichoke, grown for edible leaf stalks. As an ornamental, is a large, striking gray plant, slightly spiny. A large plant, great for backdrop in mixed beds, moonlight gardens, to add texture to ornamental areas. Will naturalize in mild areas.

Companion: Excellent carbon crop- put extra leaves into compost. Bumble bees love the blooms!

Harvest: To tenderize leaves for large harvest, gather them together, tie them up gently and wrap them with paper or cover with paper bags to exclude light. Wait for 3-4 weeks before harvest.

To cook, cut heavy leaf midribs into 3-4 inch lengths and parboil until tender, then fry or serve boiled like spinach, with butter or hollandaise sauce. Blanched stalks can also be stewed, used in soups and salads. Marinate in vinaigrette for antipasto.

Purple artichoke-like flowers can be cut and used in dried arrangements.