The Temperate Database is in the process of being updated, with new records being added and old ones being checked and brought up to date where necessary. This record has not yet been checked and updated.

Common Name: Turnip-Rooted Chervil

General Information

Chaerophyllum bulbosum is a Biennial up to 1.20 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

One report suggests that the leaves and roots are poisonous[]. The same report says that this plant is cultivated for its edible root! The root is unlikely to be poisonous[].

Botanical References

,

Range

Europe to W. Asia.

Habitat

Fallow fields and water meadows from 1000 - 2100 metres in Turkey[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Biennial
Height	1.20 m
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

An easily grown plant, succeeding in almost any soil[], though it prefers a moist soil[]. Tolerates a pH in the range 4.6 to 7.
The turnip-rooted chervil is occasionally cultivated for its edible root[, ], there is at least one named variety[]. The sub-species C. bulbosum prescottii (synonym C. prescottii) is used in Russia[]. The root of this sub-species contains about 17% starch[].

Edible Uses

Root - raw or cooked[, , , , ]. The raw root is rather tough, but has a nice, aromatic, starchy flavour[]. When cooked it becomes floury and sweet[] with a peculiar flavour that is excellent and unlike any other vegetable[]. Peeling the roots ruins the flavour[]. The root is about the size of a small carrot[]. It can be harvested when the foliage dies down, usually in July/August from an autumn sowing, and stored like potatoes for later use[]. It is best harvested as required[]. The roots contain about 20% starch and 4% protein[].
Young stems - raw or cooked[]. Some caution is advised, see notes at the top of the sheet.

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown in the autumn in situ[]. The seed has a very short viability[] or, according to another report, the seed becomes dormant if allowed to dry out and will not germinate for a year[]. If stored for a spring sowing it should be kept in damp sand in a cold but frost-free place and then sown in situ in early spring[]. Another alternative is to sow the seed in the autumn in a seed tray in a cold frame and then to sow the seed, soil and all, in early mid spring in situ[].