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Psoralea esculenta

Perennial

HomePerennialPsoralea esculenta

Rocky woods and prairies, on calcareous soils.

Family: Fabaceae
Height: 0.3 m / 1 ft
Sun
Light, Medium and Heavy Soil
Dry to Moist

Plant Rating

Edible Uses: 5 of 5
Medicinal Uses: 1 of 5
Other Uses: 3 of 5

Native Habitat

Breadroot, Large Indian breadroot Psoralea esculenta native habitat is Rocky woods and prairies, on calcareous soils.

Edible Uses

Root - raw or cooked. It can also be dried for later use. The dried root can be ground into a powder and used with cereals in making cakes, porridges etc. Starchy and glutinous, the raw root is said to have a sweetish turnip-like taste. The plant is best harvested as the tops die down at the end of the growing season. This food is a staple and also considered to be a luxury item by many native North American Indian tribes. The root contains about 70% starch, 9% protein and 5% sugars.

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