Salsify

Planted at Mount Vernon

Lower Garden

Fruit Garden & Nursery

Pioneer Farm

Hardiness Zones

Average annual extreme minimum temperature 1976-2005

Salsify is a unique biennial root vegetable with grass-like leaves. In the spring it produces masses of daisy-like purple flowers followed by large seedheads that resemble those of dandelions. The root is said to taste somewhat like oysters and looks like a white carrot.

Purchase

Seeds available to purchase from Mount Vernon

Shop Now

Latin Name

Tragopogon porrifolius

Family

Asteraceae

Also Known As

Oyster Plant , Jerusalem Star

Type of Plant

Vegetables

Bloom Season

May

Seasons

Fall

Winter

Spring

Specifications

Max Height: 3'

Max Spread: 2'

Uses

Vegetable

Edible

Sunlight Exposure

Full Sun

Colors

Native Range

Mediterranean

History

Salsify was a popular colonial vegetable and was grown by Brother August Schubert at Bethabara in 1761.

Other Details

Sold at Mount Vernon

Bartlett Tree Expert Company has been working with Mount Vernon Estate since 2011 providing expert arboricultural care and GPS mapping for the estate’s historic trees, as well as support from their research facility. Mount Vernon is proud to partner with Bartlett Tree Experts and appreciates their sponsorship of George Washington’s Mount Vernon Plant Finder App.

Bring Washington's Garden Home

Purchase our historic seeds, collected from plants grown at Mount Vernon and plant them in your own garden.