Tragopogon pratensis
| Tragopogon pratensis | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 3 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Mid Summer |
| Meadows | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Tragopogon pratensis (common name: goat's beard)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in situ. Make sure to water the seed in if the weather is dry.
Cultivation: Succeeds in ordinary garden soils, including heavy clays[1].
Goat's beard was formerly cultivated as a vegetable, though it has now fallen into disuse[2][3].
Grows well in the summer meadow[4].
The flowers open at daybreak and close before noon[3].
Range: Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Spain, Caucasus, Siberia, Iran.
Habitat: Meadows, pastures, dunes, waysides and waste places[5].
Edibility: Root - raw or cooked[2][6][7][8][9]. The roots have a sweet flavour due to their inulin content[10]. The young roots can be eaten raw whilst older roots are best cooked like parsnips or salsify[6]. They are often blanched before use[11].
Young leaves and shoots - raw or cooked[2][12][7][8][13][11]. They can be added to mixed salads or used in soups etc[10][6]. The leaves are best used as they come into growth in the spring[6].
The flowering stem, including the buds, is cooked and served like asparagus[11].
Medicinal: Goat's beard is considered to be a useful remedy for the liver and gallbladder[14]. It appears to have a detoxifying effect and may stimulate the appetite and digestion. Its high inulin content makes this herb a useful food for diabetics since inulin is a nutrient made of fructose rather than glucose units and therefore does not raise blood sugar levels[14].
The root is astringent, depurative, diuretic, expectorant, nutritive and stomachic[10][15]. A syrup made from the root gives great relief in cases of obstinate coughs and bronchitis[10]. A decoction of the root is given in the treatment of heartburn, loss of appetite and disorders of the breast or liver[16]. The root is harvested in the autumn and dried for later use[10].
The fresh juice of young plants is said to be a good dissolver of bile, relieving the stomach without side effects[3].
Usage: An infusion of the petals is used to clear the skin and lighten freckles[10].
A distilled water made from the plant is used in cleansing lotions for dry skins[10].
Pollinators: Bees, flies, self
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates strong winds
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Links
References
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Baines, Chris. Making a Wildlife Garden.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Launert, Edmund. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn, 1981.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Loewenfeld, Claire and Philippa Back. Britain's Wild Larder. David and Charles.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Larkcom, Joy. Salads all the Year Round. Hamlyn, 1980.
- ↑ Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of Europe. Oxford University Press, 1969.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Mabey, Richard. Food for Free. Collins, 1974.
- ↑ Elias, Thomas. A Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1982.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Chevallier, Andrew. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling Kindersley, 1996.
- ↑ Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.