Salsify, Mammoth Island Sandwich
75 in stock
Quick Overview
SALSIFY, Mammoth Island Sandwich –
Tragopogon porrifolius
FULL SUN Salsify has never been a popular American vegetable. Its long growing season and poor storage capabilities make is difficult, but this rare vegetable, AKA The Oyster Plant, adds a flavor to soups and stews like no other. Introduced in the 1860s, Mammoth Sandwich Island produces 8-9 in. creamy white, tapered roots that are 1-2 in. in diameter at the shoulders. Incredibly winter hardy, the roots can winter over in the ground. Salsify can be sown in the early spring for a fall-winter crop and in early fall for a following year spring crop. In the spring, plant as soon as the ground can be worked. Soil should be deeply spaded before planting and amended with bone meal for stronger root development and lime to sweeten the salsify. Rows should be 18 in. apart.
When seedlings are 2 in. high, thin, leaving 4 in. between plants. Salsify needs exposure to frosts to sweeten, so do not harvest until after a few frosts.
| Type | Spacing | Planting Depth | Days to Germination | Maturity |
| Salsify | 4 in. | 1/2 in. | 21+ | 150 |
Salsify, Mammoth Island Sandwich
Salsify is a hardy, long-season perennial vegetable that has a deliciously flavorful creamy root. It has been cultivated for centuries in Southern Europe and around the Mediterranean. It has never gained widespread popularity, but has always had a very loyal following among a devoted few. Salsify came to the New World with the colonists and was grown throughout New England and the Mid-Atlantic. Salsify, also known as oyster plant, looks something like a skinny parsnip, but unlike parsnip it is not very sweet. Its rich, unique flavor has been likened to oysters. Salsify does not keep long after it is harvested. It is recommended that salsify be left in the ground and harvested as needed.
