Scorzonera hispanica L.

An annual plant. It can keep growing from year to year from the fattened taproot. The root is shaped like a carrot and has black skin and white flesh. The leaves are oblong and hairy. They grow in a ring. The flowers are yellow. They are on long thin flower stalk. There are several named cultivated varieties.

It is a temperate plant. It does not suit the tropics. It is grown in some tropical highland regions. It suits hardiness zones 4-9. In Hobart Botanical gardens.

It can be eaten raw in salads or boiled as a vegetable. The roots are peeled and soaked before cooking to remove the bitter taste. The leaves are used in salads. The flower petals can be sprinkled on a salad. The roasted roots are used as a coffee substitute.

Plants are grown from seed. Plants are thinned to 10 cm apart. The roots are very brittle. It is best grown in light sandy soils to encourage long smooth roots.