Plant · P-257

Black Salsify

Pseudopodospermum hispanicum

Black salsify is the better-flavored, more forgiving cousin of common salsify, and hardly grown in the United States. Its root can be left in the ground through a second season without turning woody, turning the bed itself into the pantry instead of demanding a narrow harvest window. Beyond the root - cooked, or roasted as a coffee substitute - the young shoots and flower buds are edible, and the growing plant is reputed to keep carrot root fly away from nearby carrots. It also tolerates light shade, so it can go where common salsify cannot.