Sium suave
| Sium suave | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 4' |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Sium suave (common name: water parsnip)
Propagation: Seed - sow late winter to early spring in a cold frame. The seed can be slow to germinate[1]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer if they are large enough. Otherwise, grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter and plant them out in the following spring.
Division in early spring just before new growth begins. Use the side roots[2]. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.
Cultivation: Prefers a light, rich, moisture retentive soil in full sun[1].
Range: Northern N. America to N. Asia.
Habitat: Meadows, wet thickets, muddy banks etc[3]. Swamps and wet areas in Texas[4].
Edibility: Root - raw or cooked[5]. Crisp and delicious[5], it has an agreeable nutty flavour[6][7][8]. The root is considered to be edible in the spring and the autumn but it so closely resembles some very poisonous plants that it should be considered unsafe to eat[9][5].
The aromatic leaves are used as a relish[6][7][8][5]. Some caution is advised - see the notes above on toxicity[9].
Medicinal: An infusion of the crushed root has been used as a poultice to bring relief from the pain of a broken limb[5].
A decoction of the roots has been used by women in the treatment of epilepsy[5].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The stems and leaves of this plant are toxic and will kill livestock[9]. There is no conclusive proof of this, based on native North American Indian usage it is likely that the roots and stems are edible, though the flowering tops might be poisonous[256
Also Known As: S. cicutaefolium. Schrank.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ Diggs, George and Barney Lipscomb. Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas. Botanical Research Institute, 1999.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Davis, Ray and Frank Craighead. A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers. The Riverside Press, 1963.