#perrenialvegetables

Waiting for Skirret seed to ripen. This Umbelliferous plant has slender, sweet, white roots that grow in clumps. It is from northeastern Asia (where it is still eaten), and was very popular in medieval Europe, but like the Parsnip, it was cast aside when the Andean Potato arrived on the scene. According to Eric Toensmeier in “Perennial Vegetables”, this perennial tastes best when you eat some of the older roots when dividing the plants - not when grown from seed (as I’ve done). #skirret #siumsisarum #seedkeeping #seedsaving #perrenialvegetables (at Delaware County, Pennsylvania)

Skirret (Sium sisarum) flower up close. This Umbelliferous plant has slender, sweet, white roots that grow in clumps. It is from northeastern Asia (where it is still eaten), and was very popular in medieval Europe, but like the Parsnip, it was cast aside when the Andean Potato arrived on the scene. According to Eric Toensmeier in "Perennial Vegetables", this perennial tastes best when you eat some of the older roots when dividing the plants - not when grown from seed (as I've done). #skirret #siumsisarum #seedkeeping #seedsaving #perrenialvegetables (at Delaware County, Pennsylvania)

Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) berries grow on female plants, which many believe should be removed as they drop seeds and create weedy seedlings in your patch. I'm grateful for these female plants for allowing me to try my hand at growing this perennial favorite from seed instead of from crown division. I'm obsessed with sexual reproduction (in plants). It will be worth the three year wait: once established, you can get a good 10-15 years (or more!) of great Asparagus production. Native to Eurasia, this plant has been cultivated for at least 2,000 years and was used and documented by ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. #perrenialvegetables #sexualreproduction #asparagus #asparagusofficinalis #asparagaceae #lilyfamily #seedsaving #seedkeeping #asparagusberries #asparagusseeds (at Newtown Square, Pennsylvania)