Is That a Mutant Dandelion!? It's Salsify AKA Goat's Beard and It's Edible!

Here's a full-length video all about salsify!
   • Salsify AKA Goat's Beard - Identifica...  

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Yellow Salsify - Tragopogon dubius

Salsify or Yellow Salsify - Tragopogon dubius AKA goat's beard and Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon

I used to think salsify was some kind of weird dandelion. That's understandable that people might mistake the two because dandelion and salsify are related. Salsify is actually a different plant, and it's edible and pretty delicious.

Etymology of Salsify

Salsify is derived from the French word salsifis which is derived from the Latin solsequim which breaks down further to sol - sun and sequim - follower.

Description and Identification of Yellow Salsify

Yellow salsify flowers open in the morning and close around midday or on overcast days. This is part of the explanation for the Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon name.

Salsify grow 30 to 100 cm tall from a taproot. The stem is leafy with grass-like leaves that clasp the stem and are cottony-hairy when young. The stem often branches and exudes a milky juice when broken and is swollen just below the flowering heads. Yellow salsify is a member of the sunflower or Asteraceae family which has a common trait of having composite flowers. The yellow salsify flowers are composite flowers with ray flowers and no disc flowers. They are 3 - 6 cm across with bracts that extend farther than the ray flowers when the flowers are open. When yellow salsifies go to see, they look a lot like dandelions only bigger.

Other Closely Related Salsify Species

Common salsify - Tragopogon porrifolius AKA oyster plant

Common salsify is different from yellow salsify by having purple flowers. The roots are said to taste like oysters and to be the most delicious of the three species.

Meadow Salsify - Tragopogon pratensis

Meadow salsify also have yellow flowers, but the bracts are shorter than the ray flowers. They are also edible.

Salsify is Edible

The roots of salsify before the flower stalks appear can be eaten raw, roasted, fried, or boiled. Some describe the flavour as similar to parsnips. They can also be dried, ground, and roasted to be used as a coffee substitute. The young leaves, flowers, buds, and stems can be eaten raw or cooked. The young stalks can be simmered or fried like asparagus, and I think they taste like asparagus.

Medicinal Uses of Salsify

The milky juice of salsify has been taken to relieve heartburn and stomachaches. The milky juice has also been applied to wounds to stop oozing and bleeding sores.

Other Uses for Salsify

Some indigenous groups collected the dried sap and rolled it up and chewed it like gum.

Please consume wild plants at your own risk! Consult multiple reliable sources before consuming any wild plants! This video is for information and entertainment only!

References

MacKinnon, A. Edible and Medicinal Plants of Canada. Lone Pine Media Productions (BC) Ltd. 2014.

Parish, R.; Coupe, R.; and Lloyd, D. Plants of the Inland Northwest and Southern Interior British Columbia. BC Ministry of Forests and Lone Pine Publishing. 2018

Pojar, Jim and MacKinnon, Andy. Plants of Coastal British Columbia including Washington, Oregon & Alaska. BC Ministry of Forests and Lone Pine Publishing. 2004.

Warnock, Caleb. 437 Edible Wild Plants of the Rocky Mountain West. Familius LLC. 2018.