Leaf
Rasbak, Wikimedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Black salsify
Scorzonera hispanica L.
Also known as: Scorzonera, Spanish salsify
Family: Asteraceae
30 to 50 cm in rosette, up to 1.20 m in flower
Grown in vegetable gardens, deep, loose soils
Flowering: May – July
Full sun
Very hardy, the root easily survives winter in the ground
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Although often confused with salsify under the name black salsify, scorzonera is a different botanical species, recognisable by its black skin and thicker root.
🍃 Leaves
Long, lanceolate, entire, blue-green
🌸 Flowers
Bright yellow flower head, similar to that of the dandelion but larger
🍎 Fruits
Achene topped with a feathery pappus
🪵 Bark
Long taproot, black skin and white flesh
🗺️ Distribution
Native to southern Europe; grown in France, notably in the north
🐝 Value for pollinators
Nectar-rich flower head, very attractive to bees when the plant is left to flower
✂️ Horticultural uses
Perennial root vegetable grown as an annual in the vegetable garden, called black salsify although a different species from white salsify
⚠️ Possible toxicity
Edible root; no known toxicity
🌿 Other Asteraceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
🌱 This database is constantly evolving — species and information are added and corrected regularly. Spotted a mistake? Report it below.
© Floraneo — profile content is protected; reproduction without permission is prohibited. Photos remain under their own licence (see the credit shown on each photo).