This species is closely related to the very similar, but distinct, Asphodelus ramosus, and the two species have often been confused, whilst both of them have at times been referred to as Asphodelus microcarpus. We are following the treatment in the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (which has also been adopted by the Euro+Med Plantbase[],
Historical records on plant uses for one species could quite easily refer instead to the other. Fortunately, the two species can almost certainly be used interchangeably, which is the treatment we have decided to adopt here[].

Common Name:

General Information

Asphodelus aestivus is a herbaceous perennial plant that can be evergreen in mild winter areas. The plant produces one or more rosettes of long, spear-shaped leaves and one to several flowering stems up to 2 metres tall.
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. It is often grown as an ornamental.
Although the exact range extent of this species is slightly unclear, even under the smallest estimate of only occurring in the Iberian Peninsula it does not meet the thresholds for a threatened rating. It is recorded as common and abundant in places, has been observed relatively recently, occurrs in some protected areas and is under no specific threat. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Southwest Europe - Portugal Spain. The plant probably also has a wider range in the Mediterranean from France to Greece and possibly also in N. Africa

Habitat

Rocky places, hills, dry places[] and on poor uncultivated ground[]. Dry grassland and rocky or sandy ground[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Semi-deciduous Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Hoverflies, Lepidoptera
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Asphodelus aestivus is not hardy in the colder areas of the temperate zone, it tolerates occasional temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c so long as the soil is well-drained[].
Succeeds in ordinary garden soil, tolerating partial shade[]. Requires a well-drained soil[, ]. Prefers a deep rich sandy loamy soil[, ]. Prefers a sunny position and a soil that is not too rich[]. Grows well on hot dry banks[].
The range for this plant is given as the Iberian Peninsula in the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, whilst some other treatments give the species a much wider range, including from France to Greece and sometimes also parts of N. Africa. It is quite likely that the reports for plants outside of the Iberian Peninsula refer more correctly to the closely related Asphodelus ramosus[].
Plants are evergreen in mild winters[].
Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[].

Edible Uses

Tuber - cooked[]. Rich in starch[, ]. Dried and boiled in water it yields a mucilaginous matter which can be mixed with grain to make a nutritious bread[, ]. Boiling destroys the acrid principle in the tubers[], rendering them quite pleasant to eat[].

Flowering stalk - cooked[, ].

Seed - roasted[, ].

Medicinal

The root, gathered at the end of its first year, is acrid, antispasmodic, diuretic, emmenagogue[]. It was used in the treatment of several diseases by the Greeks and Romans, but is not employed in modern medicine[].

Other Uses

The dried tuber is pulverized and mixed with cold water to make a strong glue[] that is used by bookmakers and shoemakers[, , ].

A yellow dye is obtained from the tuber[, ].

Propagation

Seed - sow early to mid spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination usually takes place in 1 - 3 months at 15°c[]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. When the plants are large enough to handle, plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer.
Division in early spring or autumn[].