Skirret (Sium sisarum)

Clump-forming herbaceous perennial growing to 1 m by 0.4 m. Not frost tender. Formerly a popular vegetable plot plant grown for its edible roots.  Roots can be eaten raw or cooked – a cross between carrots and parsnip but with a nutty flavour. They can also be boiled, baked or added to soups.

Prefers a deep, moist, fertile soil.  Can tolerate light shade. Requires a lot of moisture in the growing season or the roots can be tough.

From Autumn through Winter, roots of 2-year-old+ plants can be dug as needed.  They get sweeter after frosts. As other root vegetables, they can be dug and stored.

Propagation from dividing established clumps in Spring once they have started to shoot.