Some native wild plants are selected for domestic cultivation for their intrinsic beauty, some because they are a valuable food crop. Persicaria bistorta is one which is grown for its attractive flowers, but when I found out recently that the leaves are edible too, I decided I had to try some.
COMMON BISTORT IN THE WILD
This is a plant known by many names – common bistort is widely accepted, but also dock (confusingly!), pink pokers, dragonwort, knotweed and snakeweed (after the shape of its underground rhizomes), amongst others. I’ll stick with bistort. It’s a common plant in England and Wales, but less so in Scotland so I always feel privileged to see the pink drumstick flowers poking up in summer in the rough paddock next to my cottage. It’s said to prefer boggy ground, which goes to show that plants are true opportunists and will grow wherever they get the chance, because while the paddock could be said to be moisture retentive, it’s not the least bit boggy.
HARVESTING BISTORT IN THE WILD (OR TRYING TO…)
So, back to the taste test. I love growing my own food and do (sort of) enjoy experimenting in the kitchen – but I’m a rubbish cook, so if something can be chucked raw into a salad, that’s what I’ll do. I waded through the grass in the paddock with thoughts of bistort leaves dressed in olive oil along with Swiss chard, tomatoes, basil and boiled egg (my kitchen experiments are often somewhat foolhardy), only to discover:
Well, I didn’t fancy getting thistle-pierced or nettle-stung, and I didn’t want to flatten all that wildlife-friendly vegetation just to sample a few leaves, so I carefully picked a young leaf from near the top of the nearest plant. I took it into the house, washed it, and nibbled it. It tasted okay. Not particularly memorable – a bit spinachy, perhaps. It would have been quite nice to bulk up a salad though, if I’d been able to reach more leaves.
The lesson I learned is that there’s a reason why some edible plants aren’t commonly grown in the veg patch – they’re just not tasty enough to justify taking up valuable space. But, as a salad standby, and with its pretty insect-attracting flowers, I reckon it could make a lovely addition to a potager.
Talk to me!