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Chaerophyllum bulbosum - L.

Turnip-Rooted Chervil

Author	L.	Botanical references	93, 200
Family	Umbelliferae	Genus	Chaerophyllum
Synonyms
Known Hazards	One report suggests that the leaves and roots are poisonous[1]. The same report says that this plant is cultivated for its edible root! The root is unlikely to be poisonous[K].
Range	Europe to W. Asia.
Habitat	Fallow fields and water meadows from 1000 - 2100 metres in Turkey[93].
Edibility Rating	3 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	0 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Biennial growing to 1.2m.

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

Habitats

Meadow; Cultivated Beds;

Cultivars: (as above except)
'Altan' not Meadow;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Root; Stem.

Root - raw or cooked[2, 33, 34, 37, K]. The raw root is rather tough, but has a nice, aromatic, starchy flavour[K]. When cooked it becomes floury and sweet[27] with a peculiar flavour that is excellent and unlike any other vegetable[183]. Peeling the roots ruins the flavour[183]. The root is about the size of a small carrot[2]. It can be harvested when the foliage dies down, usually in July/August from an autumn sowing, and stored like potatoes for later use[1]. It is best harvested as required[164]. The roots contain about 20% starch and 4% protein[74]. Young stems - raw or cooked[74]. Some caution is advised, see notes at the top of the sheet.

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

Cultivation details

An easily grown plant, succeeding in almost any soil[1], though it prefers a moist soil[27]. Tolerates a pH in the range 4.6 to 7. The turnip-rooted chervil is occasionally cultivated for its edible root[46, 61], there is at least one named variety[183]. The sub-species C. bulbosum prescottii (synonym C. prescottii) is used in Russia[74]. The root of this sub-species contains about 17% starch[74].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in the autumn in situ[33]. The seed has a very short viability[1] or, according to another report, the seed becomes dormant if allowed to dry out and will not germinate for a year[164]. If stored for a spring sowing it should be kept in damp sand in a cold but frost-free place and then sown in situ in March[1]. Another alternative is to sow the seed in the autumn in a seed tray in a cold frame and then to sow the seed, soil and all, in early April in situ[164].

Cultivars

'Altan'

The cream-coloured roots have a delicious flavour[183]. They will keep in storage for 2 - 3 months[183].

Links

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.

[27] Vilmorin. A. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press 0 ISBN 0-89815-041-8
A reprint of a nineteenth century classic, giving details of vegetable varieties. Not really that informative though.

[33] Organ. J. Rare Vegetables for Garden and Table. Faber 1960
Unusual vegetables that can be grown outdoors in Britain. A good guide.

[34] Harrison. S. Wallis. M. Masefield. G. The Oxford Book of Food Plants. Oxford University Press 1975
Good drawings of some of the more common food plants from around the world. Not much information though.

[37] Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. 1878
Excellent general but extensive guide to gardening practices in the 19th century. A very good section on fruits and vegetables with many little known species.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[74] Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968
An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers.

[93] Davis. P. H. Flora of Turkey. Edinburgh University Press 1965
Not for the casual reader, this is an immense work in many volumes. Some details of plant uses and habitats.

[164] Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Yuccas, one on Sagebrush (Artemesia spp) and another on Chaerophyllum bulbosum.

[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.

[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.

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.

Chaerophyllum bulbosum

Steve Dupey Thu Dec 1 2005

Easily grown..wonder about potential as an invasive plant . Cold hardy like parsnips but with milder better flavor. Resembles a fat cream colored halflong carrot which is freeze proof. After cold storage for six to eight weeks or harvested November..was delicious. Rich, sweetish, nutty as noted above.. except that I found the peeled roots were excellant also, and cooked quickly. Mashed roots looked identical to mashed potatoes but were yellowish and much better tasting. This would seem to be a rootcrop destied to become a staple favorite fortemperate climates with its many attractive qualities and ease of cultivation. The freeze resistance combined with superb flavor and digestibility would seem to suggest an important role as a foodcrop of the future.

Chaerophyllum bulbosum

Neil Millward Mon Nov 6 2006

A friend brought me two tubers which he had bought in the market in Morlaix, Brittany. They we delicious raw and appear to have great potential as a cultivated crop. I WOULD BE VERY GLAD TO KNOW WHERE I CAN GET SOME SEED TO TRY THIS VEGETABLE OUT IN MY KITCHEN GARDEN IN SOUTH DEVON. Can Steve Dupey or anyone else help, please?

Chaerophyllum bulbosum

Ken Fern, Plants for a Future. Mon Nov 6 2006

Various seed suppliers have listed this plant, but they do not list it every year. The following was listing it last year. http://www.b-and-t-world-seeds.com

Chaerophyllum bulbosum

Steve Dupey Sat Dec 2 2006

I obtained my seeds from "The Organic Garden Catalogue" which is in England and doesnt seem to carry them now. Thomas Etty Esquire lists them as turnip rooted chervil. His may be an earlier form than the recently improved cultivar from France which I obtained. An earlier form has blackish skin and light interior while these were light skinned. Have not ordered from T Etty so dont know. Also have never used b and t world seeds.

Chaerophyllum bulbosum

Paul Haigh Sun Apr 27 2008

According to 'AICHELE, D & GOLTE-BECHTLE, M. 1975, Field Guide in Colour to Wild Flowers. London: Octopus' the parts above ground are poisonous, however the parts underneath ground are edible. Rather than being a new vegetable it's a very old one - it only fell out of favour as a provider of starch after the Potato was returned from the New World by Walter Raleigh. However there's also a warning that it's easily mistaken for Hemlock.

Chaerophyllum bulbosum

Hristo Hristov Sat Jan 31 2009

"According to 'AICHELE, D & GOLTE-BECHTLE, M. 1975, Field Guide in Colour to Wild Flowers. London: Octopus' the parts above ground are poisonous" They are not poisonous. The peeled flowering stems are (although very rarely) eaten here (quite good taste), but indeed it's easily mistaken for Hemlock which is very poisonous. Because of that most people do not eat them, thinking they are poisonous. But if you look closer these 2 species are quite different. Also both smells (differently), but Hemlock smell is much worse.

Chaerophyllum bulbosum

Judith Wermig Thu Nov 5 2009

I have recently bought from a French supermarket(at great expense) and eaten these tubers. Delicious. They are available in France as seeds, from the Baumaux seed catalogue. If I see any more, I will certainly buy them.

Graines Baumaux seedcatalogue

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