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Asphodeline lutea

Perennial

HomePerennialAsphodeline lutea

Dry grassland, rocky and stony places, usually on limestone.

Family: Asphodelaceae
Height: 1 m / 4 ft
Sun, Semi-shade
Light, Medium and Heavy Soil
Dry to Moist

Plant Rating

Edible Uses: 4 of 5
Medicinal Uses: 0 of 5
Other Uses: 2 of 5

Native Habitat

King's Spear, Yellow Asphodel, Jacob's Rod Asphodeline lutea native habitat is Dry grassland, rocky and stony places, usually on limestone.

Edible Uses

Root - roasted. This food was highly valued by the ancient Greeks, who roasted the roots like potatoes and ate them with salt and oil or mashed them with figs. The roots are not very thick but are abundantly produced and have a nice nutty flavour. They can be harvested at any time of the year, but are best used when the plant is dormant in late summer and early autumn. They do not store well and should be used within a few weeks of harvest. Young shoots - cooked. They smell less than pleasant whilst cooking but have a fairly bland flavour. Some people find that they have a very pleasant flavour. The plant comes into growth in late summer and the autumn, the young shoots can be harvested in moderation all through the winter. Flowers - raw. A delightful sweetness, they are a very decorative and tasty addition to the salad bowl but should be used as soon as possible after harvesting because they soon start to decompose. The flowers are very short-lived and are best picked in the late afternoon - thus you can enjoy them visually during the day and gastronomically in the evening. There is also said to be a double-flowered form, which will have twice the quantity of petals, though we do not know its name.

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