Scorzonera mollis — Edible Plant Database

What to Eat

Edible parts: Flowers, Leaves, Root

The root is edible cooked, and the leaves can be cooked and eaten. The flowers are eaten raw and have a scent of chocolate.

Where to Find It

It is a Mediterranean climate plant.

Asia, Europe, Turkey, Türkiye,

Countries: Andorra, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, Belarus, Switzerland, China, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Georgia, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Iceland, Italy, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Monaco, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Myanmar, Mongolia, Malta, Maldives, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Serbia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Singapore, Slovenia, Slovakia, San Marino, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Taiwan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

A perennial reaching 0.3 m (1 ft) tall. Hermaphroditic flowers appear June to July and are pollinated by insects. Thrives in light sandy, medium loamy, or heavy clay soils with good drainage. Tolerates mildly acidic, neutral, and mildly alkaline pH. Requires full sun and adapts to both dry and moist conditions. Hardy to UK zone 6.

How to Grow

Succeeds in any soil in sun or light shade.

Propagation: Sow seed in spring in a greenhouse, pricking out seedlings into relatively deep pots as soon as they are large enough to handle, to accommodate the taproot. If growth is strong, plant out in early summer; otherwise overwinter in the greenhouse and plant out in late spring the following year. Divide in autumn or as growth begins in spring. Larger divisions can go straight into permanent positions. Smaller divisions are best potted up and grown on in a lightly shaded cold frame, then planted out once well established in summer.

Medicinal Uses

None known.

Other Uses

None known.

Wikipedia

A perennial reaching 0.3 m (1 ft) tall. Hermaphroditic flowers appear June to July and are pollinated by insects. Thrives in light sandy, medium loamy, or heavy clay soils with good drainage. Tolerates mildly acidic, neutral, and mildly alkaline pH. Requires full sun and adapts to both dry and moist conditions. Hardy to UK zone 6.

Names & Synonyms

Sing, Spling, Vil, Yemlik

References (6)

Dogan, A. & Tuzlaci, E., 2015, Wild Edible Plants of Pertek (Tunceli-Turkey). Marmara Pharmaceutical Journal 19: 126-135
Ertug, F, Yenen Bitkiler. Resimli Türkiye Florası -I- Flora of Turkey - Ethnobotany supplement
Lim, T. K., Edible Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Plants Volume 7 Flowers
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
Polat, R., et al, 2017, Survey of wild food plants for human consumption in Bingol, (Turkey). Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge. Vol. 16(3) July 2017, pp. 378-384
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew