Sium sisarum

Skirret Apiaceae

A splendidly old-fashioned vegetable that deserves considerably more attention than its rather obscure appearance suggests. Sium sisarum is the true skirret, a tuberous perennial native from eastern and south-eastern Europe through western Siberia to Afghanistan. It has been cultivated in Europe for centuries as a root vegetable. 

The plant forms a handsome clump of finely divided foliage, topped in summer by airy umbels of small white flowers. But the real prize is underground: a cluster of slender, sweet, white-fleshed roots. These can be boiled, roasted, baked or fried, and have a pleasantly sweet, parsnip-like flavour. The roots are generally harvested in autumn and winter, when they are at their best. 

Unlike several other Sium species, which include potentially poisonous water parsnips, S. sisarum has a long-established history as a cultivated food crop. Nevertheless, its identification should be absolutely certain before eating—Apiaceae is not a family in which guessing is encouraged.

A useful and unusual edible perennial for moist, fertile soil in sun or light shade, with attractive ornamental foliage as a bonus.

Height: 60–100cm | Spread: 40–60cm
Flowering: June–August | Foliage: Deciduous
Hardiness: H6 (-20 to -15°C)