Salad Burnet

A pretty wildflower with 4-12 pairs of leaflets all less than 20mm. Mostly found on dry, lime rich. calcerous soils it has pale green flower heads which have a hint of red. The young leaves are edible and with a cool fresh cucumber flavour and fragrance are like by grazing anaimals. Salad burnet is known for attracting bees, beneficial insects and butterflies.

Uses

Salad burnet can be included in a summer flowering meadow

Persistence

This is a longer term perennial that will continue to flower and spread for many years.

Strengths

A low maintenance species that is easily grown from seed sown at any time of the year. It is pest and disease free

Frost Tolerance

Salad burnet is frost and drought tolerant

Sowing Rate Advice

1 gram per m2

Ideal Sowing Time

Sown in spring or autumn seeds are quick to develop

Management

This is a very hardy plant however it does require consistant moisture and well drained soil for best results.

Distinguishing characteristics

Seed
Oval shaped, angular seed (3-4mm long), with obviously raised fins running along its length. Light brown colour, rough textured surface.

Seedling
Seedling has orbiculate leaves, less than 2cm long. True fleaves become abrupt dentate.

Flowering Plant
Flowers in round heads, the upper with red styles, the lower with yellow stamens. The sepals are green and the flower-heads have no petals.

Additional Info

Flowers: May to July Smells like cucumber when crushed. Salad Burnet leaves taste and smell similar to cucumber and traditionally were said to make a nice addition to a salad.

Works well with

Salad burnet looks best when sown with ox-eye daisies, greater Knapweed, Meadow cranesbill and small scabious

You can find Salad Burnet in the following mixtures

• Floristically Enhanced Field Margin (CIPM2/IPM2/AB8)
• Chalk & Limestone Soil Mixture
• Nectar Stewardship Mix (CIPM2/IPM2/AB8)
• Cotswold Wild Flora
• Vineyard Grass Surface Pollinator Mix
• Meadow Over-Seeding Just Wild Flowers