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Common Name: Field Eryngo

General Information

Eryngium campestre is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.60 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Central and southern Europe, including Britain, from N. Germany to N. Africa and Afghanistan.

Habitat

Dry grassy areas near the coast[]. A rare plant in Britain.

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Bees, Flies, Beetles, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a well-drained soil and a sunny position[]. Prefers a light sandy soil but tolerates most soil types including lime and poor gravels[].
The plant has deep and wide-ranging roots, it can spread freely in the garden and become difficult to eradicate[]. Plants should be put in their final position whilst small since they resent root disturbance[].
The plant is often used in dried flower arrangements since it retains its colour for a long time[].

Edible Uses

Young shoots - cooked. An asparagus substitute[, , ].
Root - cooked. Used as a vegetable or candied and used as a sweetmeat[, ]. Easily digested[, ].

Medicinal

The root is antispasmodic, aromatic, diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, galactofuge and stimulant[, ]. It should be harvested in the autumn from plants that are at least 2 years old[]. The root promotes free expectoration and is very useful in the treatment of debility attendant on coughs of chronic standing in the advanced stages of pulmonary consumption[]. Drunk freely it is used to treat whooping cough, diseases of the liver and kidneys and skin complaints[, ].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in early autumn on the surface of a well-drained compost in a cold frame[]. The seed can also be sown in spring. It usually germinates in 5 - 90 days at 20°c. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Division in early spring or autumn. Take care since the plant resents root disturbance[].
Root cuttings in autumn or winter[].