Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Leaf, fruits, and medium-sized roots of edible burdock
CULTIVATION HISTORY
Cultivated burdock is native to Japan. In east Asia, it is widely grown as a ve-
getable, in the form of numerous small-leaved, large-rooted cultivars, such as 'Takinogawa'. Now nat-
uralized all over the world, burdock is found in the wild in the meadows and forest glades of Europe,
where it has long been used as a medicinal plant but is rarely eaten. Charlemagne recorded burdock in
his
Capitulare de Villis
as “parduna.”
GARLAND CHRYSANTHEMUM
Chrysanthemum coronarium
Garland chrysanthemum is related to colorful ornamentals we see each autumn. There are three types
of garland chrysanthemum:
• with thin, finely separated, dark petals (from north China)
• with medium-sized petals (from Japan)
• with wide, bright green petals (from southwest China)
Wide-leaved varieties do best in warmer areas; in zone 6 central Europe, Japanese breeds do the best.
Tender shoots and young leaves can be continuously harvested starting 30 days after sowing and con-
tinuing, in milder climates, throughout the winter. Commercial growers cut entire rosettes and sell
them in bundles.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
• 50 healthy plants
POLLINATION NOTES
Garden chrysanthemums produce simple yellow composite flowers. These self-
pollinate but can be cross-pollinated by insects. Observe an isolation distance of 1000 ft. (300 m)
