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Asphodeline lutea - (L.)Rchb.

King's Spear

Author	(L.)Rchb.	Botanical references	50, 200
Family	Asphodelaceae	Genus	Asphodeline
Synonyms	Asphodelus luteus - L.
Known Hazards	None known
Range	Mediterranean in Southern and Eastern Europe, North Africa and east to the Caucasus.
Habitat	Dry grassland[50], rocky and stony places[45], usually on limestone[187].
Edibility Rating	4 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	0 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 1m by 1m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry or moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge; Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Flowers; Leaves; Root.

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[2, 183]. The roots are not very thick but are abundantly produced and have a nice nutty flavour[K]. 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[K]. They do not store well and should be used within a few weeks of harvest[K]. Young shoots - cooked[K]. They smell less than pleasant whilst cooking but have a fairly bland flavour[K]. Some people find that they have a very pleasant flavour[K]. The plant comes into growth in late summer and the autumn, the young shoots can be harvested in moderation all through the winter[K]. 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[K]. 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[K]. There is also said to be a double-flowered form[245], which will have twice the quantity of petals, though we do not know its name[K].

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

Other Uses

None known

Scented Plants

Flowers: Fresh

The flowers are sweetly scented.

Cultivation details

An easily grown plant, it succeeds in ordinary garden soil[1, K], tolerating partial shade[200]. Requires a well-drained soil[42, 134], doing well in sandy soils[188]. Prefers a deep rich soil[111]. Prefers a soil that is not too rich and a warm sunny position[200]. Plants are hardy to about -15°c[187]. A very ornamental plant[1], though it looks very untidy in late summer when it dies down after flowering[K]. It seems to be very wind resistant, tolerating maritime exposure on an exposed site in Cornwall[K]. The flowers are sweetly scented[245]. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[233].

Propagation

Seed - sow March/April in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination usually takes place in 1 - 3 months at 15°c[134]. Once the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring. Division in spring or autumn, with care since the roots are easily damaged[1]. Ensure each division has at least one growing bud[200]. Large divisions can be planted out straight into their permanent positions, smaller ones are best potted up until they are growing away strongly and can then be panted out. We have found that this plant can be successfully divided throughout the growing season so long as it is watered in dry weather[K].

Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: Edible Flowers.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[42] Grey. C. H. Hardy Bulbs. Williams & Norgate. 1938
Rather dated now, but an immense work on bulbs for temperate zones and how to grow them. Three large volumes.

[45] Polunin. O. Flowers of Greece and the Balkans. Oxford University Press 1980 ISBN 0-19-217626-9
A good pocket flora, it also lists quite a few plant uses.

[50] ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964
An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.

[111] Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge 1926
A fairly wide range of perennial plants that can be grown in Britain and how to grow them.

[134] Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan. 1988
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[187] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991 ISBN 0-330-30936-9
Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Asphodeline lutea

mootube Tue May 23 2006

Beware slugs! I planted out quite an established plant which was reduced to a stump overnight by several slugs. This was due to the shape of the long, thin leaves that start at the base, slugs biting through them very close to the ground. One large slug will reduce it to a stump in no time.

Asphodeline lutea

mootube Tue Sep 12 2006

After repotting indoors, the plant grew back to its former proportions although completely missed it's reproductive period. Any cloned crop must wait another year but I ventured to try a piece of raw root and found it unique and pleasant. Well worth adding to a Sunday dinner.

Asphodeline lutea

Marinella Zepigi Tue Jun 10 2008

Acta plantarum forum botanico Description - Photos - Asphodeline lutea (L.) Rchb.

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