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Common Name: Goat's Beard

General Information

Tragopogon pratensis is a Annual/Perennial up to 0.60 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Spain, Caucasus, Siberia, Iran.

Habitat

Meadows, pastures, dunes, waysides and waste places[].

Properties

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

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in ordinary garden soils, including heavy clays[].
Goat's beard was formerly cultivated as a vegetable, though it has now fallen into disuse[, ].
Grows well in the summer meadow[].
The flowers open at daybreak and close before noon[].

Edible Uses

Root - raw or cooked[, , , , ]. The roots have a sweet flavour due to their inulin content[]. The young roots can be eaten raw whilst older roots are best cooked like parsnips or salsify[]. They are often blanched before use[].
Young leaves and shoots - raw or cooked[, , , , , ]. They can be added to mixed salads or used in soups etc[, ]. The leaves are best used as they come into growth in the spring[].
The flowering stem, including the buds, is cooked and served like asparagus[].

Medicinal

Goat's beard is considered to be a useful remedy for the liver and gallbladder[]. It appears to have a detoxifying effect and may stimulate the appetite and digestion. Its high inulin content makes this herb a useful food for diabetics since inulin is a nutrient made of fructose rather than glucose units and therefore does not raise blood sugar levels[].
The root is astringent, depurative, diuretic, expectorant, nutritive and stomachic[, ]. A syrup made from the root gives great relief in cases of obstinate coughs and bronchitis[]. A decoction of the root is given in the treatment of heartburn, loss of appetite and disorders of the breast or liver[]. The root is harvested in the autumn and dried for later use[].
The fresh juice of young plants is said to be a good dissolver of bile, relieving the stomach without side effects[].

Other Uses

An infusion of the petals is used to clear the skin and lighten freckles[].
A distilled water made from the plant is used in cleansing lotions for dry skins[].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in situ. Make sure to water the seed in if the weather is dry.