- Perennial green leaf
- Herb
- Food forest
- Bees and butterflies
- Edimentals
Korean Celery
Dystaenia takeshimana
A hardy, delicious, nutritious, clump-forming perennial herb from Korea
PLANT TYPE Herb
PLANT HABIT Perennial
USES , Culinary, Pollinators, Ornamental
DESCRIPTION
A hardy, clump-forming Korean perennial with glossy, dark green leaves and large, wide-topped umbels of white flowers on tall stems. Loved by pollinators. Arrives in late February ready for picking throughout the year. The nutritious leaves and stalks can be used in salads and cooked meals. Flavour is a mixture of celery, lovage and parsley.
The plant has a high nutritional profile, with studies indicating its 17.9% protein content is comparable to that of lucerne (alfalfa).
RECOMMENDED LOCATION , Kitchen garden, Forest garden, Wildlife garden, Ornamental garden
Aspect , Full sun, Partial sun
Height 1m
Spread 0.85m
Hardiness Hardy in the UK
Origin/history
In Korea, Dystaenia takesimana was historically used primarily as livestock fodder for pigs and cattle, rather than for human consumption.
Ethnobotanical research on Ulleung-do Island confirms that while only a few informants recalled eating it (parboiled or fermented in soy sauce), its main agricultural purpose was as a fodder crop. It is said to be the favourite herb of local cattle (yakso), imparting a special ‘herbal fragrance’ to the meat.
Because it was heavily utilised as animal feed, the plant is now considered endangered in its native habitat on Ulleung-do Island, South Korea.
