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Valerianella locusta - (L.)Laterr.

Corn Salad

Author	(L.)Laterr.	Botanical references	17, 200
Family	Valerianaceae	Genus	Valerianella
Synonyms	Valerianella olitoria - (L.)Pollich.
Known Hazards	None known
Range	Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to N. Africa and W. Asia.
Habitat	Cultivated ground, waste places, hedgebanks, dunes etc, usually on dry soils[9, 17].
Edibility Rating	4 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	0 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Annual growing to 0.3m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats

Hedgerow; Cultivated Beds;

Cultivars: (as above except)
'Cavallo' East Wall By; South Wall By; West Wall By;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Flowers; Leaves.

Young leaves - raw[1, 2, 4, 5, 12, 27, 33, 37]. A very mild flavour, with a delicate quality that makes them seem to melt in the mouth, they can be added in quantity to salads[183]. The leaves can be available all year round from successional sowings and will only require protection in the colder winters[K]. Flowers and flowering stems - raw[183].

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

A very easily grown plant, it prefers a fairly rich light soil[1, 37] though it tolerates most soils and wet or dry conditions[52]. Prefers a sunny position but tolerates some shade in summer[K]. This shade, plus an adequate supply of water, will slow down the plant's tendency to run to seed[200]. Late sowings will benefit from a sheltered sunny position and perhaps some protection in the winter. Often cultivated on a garden scale for its edible young leaves which, by successional sowing, can be available for most of the year although they will require protection in severe winters. There are several named varieties[183]. The plants do tend to run quickly to seed in the summer though. If allowed to flower, plants will often maintain themselves by self-sowing[K].

Propagation

Seed - in order to obtain a continuous supply of salad leaves, it is best to sow the seed successionally from early spring to late summer in situ. A late summer sowing might also succeed, and this would supply edible leaves in the winter.

Cultivars

'A Grosse Graine'

The leaves are large, comparatively narrow, greyish-green, thin and very tender[183]. An early maturing cultivar, producing a harvest within 45 days from sowing the seed[183]. A strong growing form, differing from the species in the greater size of the plant and the seed[183].

'Blonde Shell Leaved'

The plant has small green shell-like leaves[183]. An early, fast-growing cultivar, producing a harvest within 50 days of sowing the seed[183]. It produces a good crop and is extremely cold resistant[183].

'Cavallo'

A very productive plant, producing a mass of fresh-flavoured very deep-green leaves[183]. They can be harvested in 40 - 50 days from sowing the seed and continue to yield over a long harvest period[183]. A very hardy plant, it can be sown in late summer for a winter crop[183].

'Elan'

The leaves are small, glossy, smooth and very attractive[183]. A small, upright plant, it is resistant to mildew and so makes a good winter crop where conditions are cold and wet[183].

'Verte à Coeur Plein'

A very distinct type with short, roundish, smooth, half-erect, stiff and intensely green leaves. It forms a compact rosette, the heart of which is full and firm with a very agreeable flavour[183]. It holds its quality well when transported to market[183]. A very winter hardy cultivar[183].

'Verte d'Etampes'

The leaves are extremely dark-green, rather narrow and often undulated or folded back at the edges[183]. They are much thicker and fleshier than other cultivars[183]. They retain their freshness after harvesting longer than any other cultivar[183]. The rosette is somewhat more compact and stiff than the species[183]. A remarkably cold-tolerant plant[183].

Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: Winter Salads.

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.

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[5] Mabey. R. Food for Free. Collins 1974 ISBN 0-00-219060-5
Edible wild plants found in Britain. Fairly comprehensive, very few pictures and rather optimistic on the desirability of some of the plants.

[9] Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981 ISBN 0-600-37216-2
Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.

[12] Loewenfeld. C. and Back. P. Britain's Wild Larder. David and Charles 0 ISBN 0-7153-7971-2
A handy pocket guide.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[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.

[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.

[52] Larkcom. J. Salads all the Year Round. Hamlyn 1980
A good and comprehensive guide to temperate salad plants, with full organic details of cultivation.

[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.

Valerianella locusta

margarida Salgado Wed Feb 13 2008

Can I plant valerianella locusta in an hydroponic sistem? can you inform me where can I buy seeds? I am in Portugal and I would like to try it.

Valerianella locusta

Ana Rijo Sat Sep 20 2008

Eu planto valerianella que em português se chama alface de cordeiro, mas na terra claro. Compro as sementes na Alemanha que eu saiba não há à venda cá, o que é estranho dado que é originária da bacia do Mediterrâneo. Dá-se muito bem mas apenas no Inverno porque assim que está calor começa a espigar. Neste clima, ou pelo menos aqui no sul dá-se melhor na meia-sombra.

Valerianella locusta

David Nelson Tue Sep 8 2009

My wife eats this as a salad green almost exclusively here in The Netherlands, but will sometimes mix with other greens. Shape of the leaves holds salad dressing, so less is needed and little is wasted. Here, the plant is called "Veldsla" and is packaged as whole young plants, multi-leaved and with bare roots attached. The two packages I have seen are 100 and 200 grams in weight. Wish this was available in the USA -- they need to get with it so we can find this when we get back. Here, it is priced more or less equally with what would be called mixed field greens in the US. So any fancy restaurant serving this in USA is capitalizing on the 'new' factor, and not the rarity of the plant. Whole greenhouses are dedicated to this stuff over here, so it certainly is nothing new to Europe. "

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