SALAD BURNET SEEDS

Poterium sanguisorba/Sanguisorba minor

Salad Burnet is a fantastic little perennial edible for the garden. It is extraordinarily hardy, its green leaves frequently persisting through winter. These evergreen leaves make excellent fodder for pastured animals. Humans, too, will appreciate its cucumber-flavored fronds, especially in early spring when the tender new growth of Salad Burnet pokes its way through the snow.

Foraged and cultivated for both food and medicine for thousands of years, and reputed to defend against both plague and pestilence (!), Salad Burnet has fallen out of favor with herbalists, but its virtues in the vegetable garden are timeless.

Growing to just 1' in all directions, Salad Burnet is a tidy plant in the garden, and can even be trimmed into a little hedge. Keep seed stalks cut to maintain quality. If you want to save seed, tie little bags around the tops of a few flowering stalks to collect seed. If allowed to, Salad Burnet will self-sow here and there in your garden.

Whole fronds may be cut and used as salad greens in spring. As summer progresses, leaves should be stripped from the stalks, which will become woody with age. Salad Burnet makes a delicious and delicately-flavored vinegar, either alone or in combination with French Tarragon. Mince leaves as you would any other herb for use in summer salads, especially those containing peas. Salad Burnet has long been used to flavor and garnish wine, and is indeed lovely in a Vinho Verde.

Salad Burnet is easy to grow from seed and is best sown outdoors where it is to grow. If you prefer to start seedlings indoors: sow seeds about 1/8" deep in moist soil, two to three seeds per pot or cell, and mist. Cover with plastic to maintain moisture. Kept moist in bright light at room temperature, seeds will germinate in a week or two. Thin to one plant per pot or cell. Grow on until well-rooted before transplanting to the garden. Take care when transplanting, as Salad Burnet does not appreciate root disturbance. Water seedlings just until established.

Tough little Salad Burnet can grow almost anywhere except damp shade. It is happy in a container of well-drained soil in part shade. Do not allow potted plants to go to seed.

Packet contains 50 seeds.