Sanguisorba minor is an edible perennial herbaceous plant with beautiful ferny foliage and striking crimson flower clusters that rise well above the foliage in summer.
The leaves are toothed and are evergreen in regions where there is no heavy snowfall.
The flowers resemble tiny little crimson balls, forming atop tall slender stems.
Salad burnet is one of the foundational culinary herbs of Europe. It has a somewhat tart, cucumber-y, maybe peppery taste that can lift up surrounding flavors.
Used to flavor salads, vinaigrettes, sauces, summer drinks, cream cheese, cheese and even wine.
It is an extraodinarily hardy perennial and attracts multitudes of bees and butterflies in the summer.
NOTA BENE: When using it for cooking, do try to use the young leaves as the older leaves become a bit bitter with age.
The Tale
This was one of the first plants brought over to the New World by English colonists – indicating the value that the colonists saw in it.
Each plant can live over 20 years!
Each plant can carry both male and female flowers – this makes salad burnet monoecious.
Other Names
Salad burnet
Garden burnet
Small burnet
Pimpernelle
Origin
Southern Europe; northwest Africa, southwest Western Asia and Siberia.
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