Ground Elder or Goutweed

Appears in

Published 1986

About

Aegopodium podagraria A perennial herb, generally distributed throughout the British Isles, it is found at roadsides, in waste places near buildings and as a persistent weed in gardens. It flowers from May to August but the best time to use it is in the spring when the shoots are about 15 cm (6 in) high.

Ground elder was introduced into Britain by the Romans as a culinary plant and was cultivated throughout the Middle Ages to be used as a spinach-like vegetable, as a pot-herb and as a medicinal plant. In the 18th century the Swedish botanist Linnaeus described it as a good spring vegetable and it is still used extensively as a pot-herb in Scandinavia, while in Russia and Lithuania it is used as a vegetable and in salads.

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Part of

Section Four Vegetables, Leaves and Herbs

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