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Crambe tatarica - Sebeók.

Common Name Tartar Bread Plant
Family Brassicaceae or Cruciferae
USDA hardiness 4-8
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Bushy and grassy places[45], it is also found on chalky slopes[74].
Range E. Europe to W. Asia.
Edibility Rating    (3 of 5)
Other Uses    (2 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (0 of 5)
Care (info)
Fully Hardy Moist Soil Semi-shade Full sun
Crambe tatarica Tartar Bread Plant


Crambe tatarica Tartar Bread Plant

 

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Summary


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of flower
Crambe tatarica is a PERENNIAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 1 m (3ft 3in).
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects.
It is noted for attracting wildlife.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils.
It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

C. aspera. C. litwinowi.

Plant Habitats

 Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves  Root
Edible Uses:

Leaves and young stems- raw or cooked[2, 46, 74]. Usually blanched in much the same way as seakale (C. maritima)[61, 183]. Root - raw or cooked[105]. The root, which can be as thick as a person's arm, is fleshy and sweet[2, 183]. It can be used raw in salads, or be cooked as a vegetable[2]. It can be dried and ground into a powder, then mixed with cereal flours when making bread[2]. The root is rich in starch and sugars[74].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.


None known

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

Attracts wildlife.

Special Uses

Attracts Wildlife  Food Forest

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

An easily grown plant, succeeding in a good loam and an open sunny position[1]. Prefers a slightly alkaline soil in a position sheltered from strong winds[200]. Tolerates poor soil and some shade[200]. Dislikes acid soils[1]. A deep-rooted plant[233], it dislikes root disturbance[164]. This is an aggregate species[54]. There is some confusion over the correct spelling of this species name, it is written as C. tataria in some books[50]. Plants can be grown in the summer meadow if the grass is not cut too low (since this would damage the growing point)[200]. A good bee plant[74].

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

Fahrenheit:

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Plant Propagation

Seed - sow March/April in a seedbed outdoors and either thin the plants out or move them to their permanent positions when about 10cm tall[111]. The young plants are very attractive to slugs so some protection will often be needed. Germination can be slow so it is best to sow the seed in pots in a cold frame[164]. Germination usually takes place in 3 - 26 weeks at 15°c[164]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant out into their permanent positions when they are at least 10cm tall. Division in spring or autumn[1, 111]. Dig up the root clump and cut off as many sections as you require, making sure they all have at least one growing point. The larger of these divisions can be planted out straight into their permanent positions, though small ones are best potted up and grown on in a cold frame until they are established. Root cuttings, 3 - 10 cm long, in spring[104]. These can be planted straight into the open ground or you can pot them up in the greenhouse and plant them out once they are growing strongly.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Range

TEMPERATE ASIA: Turkey, Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia (Ciscaucasia), Russian Federation (Dagestan) EUROPE: Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Russian Federation-European part (European part (south)), Ukraine (incl. Krym), Bulgaria (east), Italy (northeast), Romania, Serbia, Slovenia

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Crambe abyssinicaAbyssinian Kale, CrambeAnnual1.0 10-12  LMHSNM104
Crambe cordifoliaFlowering sea kalePerennial2.0 5-9  LMHSNDM313
Crambe kotschyana Perennial2.5 6-9  LMHSNDM21 
Crambe maritimaSea KalePerennial0.6 4-8  LMHSNDM403
Crambe orientalis Perennial1.2 6-9  LMHSNM30 
Theligonum cynocrambeDog's CabbageAnnual0.1 -  LMHSNDM11 

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

Expert comment

Author

Sebeók.

Botanical References

5074200

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here

Readers comment

A reference, appears to be a pathetic computer translation, but suggests stratification for the seeds, and that the roots can be used as horseradish.   Mar 6 2015 12:00AM

A reference, appears to be a pathetic computer translation, but suggests stratification for the seeds, and that the roots can be used as horseradish.
Ukrainian blogger

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