Salad burnet

Sun

Full sun; tolerates light shade, especially where summers are hot.

Water

Water regularly while establishing. Established plants tolerate drought, but occasional deep watering keeps leaves tender.

Soil

Well-drained soil, including sandy, stony and chalky ground; prefers neutral to alkaline conditions. Avoid waterlogged soil.

Height

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m), including flower stems

Spread

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m)

Flowers

Late spring to summer; small, rounded greenish flower heads with reddish-purple details on slender stems.

Foliage

Low rosettes of pinnate leaves with small, rounded, toothed leaflets; young leaves have a mild cucumber flavour.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Low

• Drought tolerant
• Cold hardy
• Edible

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.1 ft (0.35 m)

3. After 2 years

   1.3 ft (0.4 m)

4. After 3 years

   1.5 ft (0.45 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

In the garden

Spreads vigorously: plan to contain it.

Growth rate

Moderate

• Water new plants during dry spells until their roots are established.
• Give established plants a deep drink during prolonged drought if you want regular leaf harvests.
• Avoid heavy feeding; a light spring dressing of compost is usually enough.
• Keep mulch away from the crown and improve drainage where winter soil stays wet.
• Divide crowded clumps in spring if growth becomes weak or the centre opens up.

Pruning. Remove flower stems as they appear if leaf production is your priority, or cut them before seed ripens to limit self-seeding. Trim tired foliage after flowering and water to encourage fresh growth; remove winter-damaged leaves in early spring.

Pick young, tender leaves once plants are growing strongly, preferably before flowering, when their flavour is freshest. Snip outer leaf stems near the base, leaving the centre to regrow, and use the leaves fresh because drying preserves little flavour.

Early spring

Remove damaged foliage and divide established clumps if needed.

Spring

Sow seed or plant young plants in well-drained soil; water while they establish.

Late spring

Begin picking young leaves and remove emerging flower stems if growing mainly for food.

Summer

Water during prolonged dry weather and trim coarse foliage to encourage tender regrowth.

Late summer

Remove spent flower heads before seeds scatter, unless you want seedlings.

Autumn

Weed around the rosettes and clear wet debris from the crowns; retain healthy green leaves.

• Edge herb beds or vegetable plots with low, rounded clumps that are easy to harvest.
• Combine with thyme, sage and lavender in a sunny, well-drained herb garden.
• Use beside paths in gravel gardens for fine-textured foliage and airy summer flowers.
• Plant in a mixed edible border with chives and other compact culinary herbs.

Garden styles it suits: Potager (kitchen garden), Herb parterre, Cottage garden, Dry gravel garden, Edible landscape and Sensory garden.

Plant it with: Thyme, Sage, Lavender, Chives, Oregano and Yarrow.

Wildlife: The mainly wind-pollinated flowers are not a major nectar source. Low clumps provide some shelter for small garden invertebrates.

• Crown or root rot in wet soil: improve drainage, keep the crown clear of mulch and move plants out of winter-wet ground.
• Slugs and snails on young growth: inspect after dark, remove them by hand and reduce nearby damp hiding places.
• Coarse, bitter leaves during heat or drought: cut back tired growth and water deeply to encourage fresh leaves.
• Unwanted seedlings: remove flower heads before seed ripens and pull seedlings while small.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. The leaves are edible, and the plant is also used as forage; no part is generally recognised as poisonous.

Where it spreads. Can self-seed freely on dry, open ground. It is naturalized in parts of the western United States and southern Australia; check local weed guidance before allowing it to seed near native grassland.

• Great burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis)

  Usually much taller, with larger leaflets and dark crimson, oval flower heads; it prefers moister soil.

• Fodder burnet (Sanguisorba minor subsp. muricata)

  A closely related subspecies often sold for pasture. Its foliage is very similar; mature fruits have more conspicuous ridges and projections, so leaves alone are not a reliable distinction.

Sanguisorba comes from Latin words meaning blood and absorb, referring to its historical use to stop bleeding, while minor means smaller.

Propagation. Sow seed in spring or early autumn in pots or directly into prepared soil. Divide established clumps in spring, replanting rooted sections promptly and watering them in.

Accepted botanical name

Poterium sanguisorba sanguisorba Sanguisorba minor is an older name for Poterium sanguisorba sanguisorba.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.