purple salsify
Tragopogon porrifolius
Also known as the 'oyster plant' because its cooked taproot has a distinct flavor reminiscent of mild, sweet oysters.
- Scientific name
- Tragopogon porrifolius
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Asterales › Asteraceae › Tragopogon
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Fields, meadows, roadsides, and disturbed grasslands.
- Diet
- Photosynthetic (autotroph, absorbing water and nutrients from soil).
- Range
- Southern Europe, North America, Australia, North Africa, British Isles
- Size
- 60 to 120 cm tall
- Lifespan
- 2 years (biennial)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Herbicide spraying, intensive agriculture, and urban development.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and safe to touch. This plant is entirely edible; its taproot is famous for tasting like cooked oysters. No special precautions are needed, though sensitive individuals should wash hands after contact with its sticky, milky latex sap.
Tragopogon porrifolius is a plant cultivated for its ornamental flower, edible root, and herbal properties. It also grows wild in many places and is one of the most widely known species of the salsify genus, Tragopogon . It is commonly known as purple or common salsify , oyster plant , vegetable oyster , Jerusalem star , goatsbeard or simply salsify (although these last two names are also applied to other species, as well).
Photo: paulexcoff, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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