Scorzonera
Scorzonera hispanica
Black salsify. Dark skin, white interior. A winter root. Not scorzonera the disease of plants — the vegetable.
GROW → HARVEST → EAT → DRY → POWDER → CAPSULE → GUMMY — forms are not equivalent. Food first.
Identity
Also called: Black salsify, salsify-black
What it is
Black salsify. Dark skin, white interior. A winter root. Not scorzonera the disease of plants — the vegetable.
Edible portions
- roots
Absence of a portion from this list means it is not treated as food here — not that every other part is toxic.
Growing
- Climate. Biennial as annual
- Light. Full sun
- Soil. Deep, loose
- Planting. Direct-sow. Long season.
- Harvest. After frost; they can overwinter.
Preparation and culinary uses
- Peel after boiling to save the mess, or peel into acidulated water
Next steps
Sources
- USDA PLANTS Database — taxonomy and range (verify current entries)
- No USDA FoodData Central nutrient profile is attached here. That is not a claim that the plant contains no nutrients.
- State cooperative extension growing guides — verify for your region
Honest incompleteness is preferred to fabricated completeness. If a section is missing, no record for it is attached here — not a claim that the plant lacks that characteristic, and not that it was omitted as a secret.
Internal quality class B. Good foundation: enough unique information to exist as its own destination.