Salsify 'Mammoth Sandwich Island'

'Mammoth Sandwich Island' is the most popular cultivar of salsify, a traditional root vegetable known as the 'oyster plant' due to its delicate, oyster-like flavour when cooked. It produces long, slender, creamy-white taproots, typically 20-30cm long, resembling thin parsnips. The plant grows 60-90cm tall with a spread of 30cm, producing attractive purple, dandelion-like flowers in its second year if not harvested. It is H6 hardy, happily overwintering in the UK. Salsify thrives in full sun and deep, light, well-drained soil, free from stones. Sow in spring for an autumn/winter harvest. The young leaves are also edible, and the flowers are attractive to pollinators. A gourmet vegetable providing delicious roots throughout the colder months.

Sun: Full sun.

Soil: Deep, light, well-drained loam.

Hardiness: H6 — down to −20°C.

Flowering: Jun, Jul.