Never mind the Lost Crops of the Incas, skirret (Sium sisarum) seems to be the Lost Crop of the Europeans. Based on my experience, it’s high time it was rediscovered.
Originally from China, skirret was clearly well established in Europe by Roman times. It was a favourite of the Emperor Tiberius, a man who, don’t forget, could have pretty much anything he wanted for his table. He liked it so much that he demanded it as tribute from the Germans. It remained widespread and popular into Tudor times and then… where is it now?
Two crops of European empires may have displaced skirret. The first was the potato. Skirret is a starchy root, a useful staple, but nothing like as productive as the potato (what is?). The second was sugar cane. One of the most striking characteristics of skirret is its sweetness: even the name comes from a Germanic origin meaning ‘sugar root’. Before ubiquitous sweeteners, this would have made it extremely attractive, even to greedy Roman emperors. Whatever the reasons, skirret faded away from gardens, tables and popular consciousness. I’d say that it has several characteristics that make it worth revisiting.
First up, skirret is delicious. It has a floury texture, a little like a potato, due to the high starch levels. Its taste is unique, but vaguely carroty, not surprisingly as it comes from the multi-talented carrot family (Apiaceae). It needs very little cooking. My favourite way of cooking it is to parboil for a few minutes, then fry in butter or vegetable fat. This gives a certain crispiness to the skin, encasing the gooey sweetness of the flesh. Being from Central Scotland, I have of course tried deep-frying it and can report that it makes a passable chip, but it scores higher on taste than texture when cooked this way.
Secondly, skirret is quite easy to grow once you know how. Unlike most of its vegetable relatives it is not a biennial with a single taproot but a perennial that produces a whole shaggy bunch of roots. A dormant skirret plant can therefore be lifted, divided and replanted like any clump-forming perennial. Grown from seed, skirret produces a single ‘crown’: several shoot buds around the base of a stem, with a cluster of roots attached. Grown on, this crown will divide to form a clump made from several crowns. The clumps are easy to tease apart into individual crowns again. A cluster of roots will consist of several that are worth picking and a good number that aren’t, so my harvesting method is to dig up the clump, snip off the roots that are worth having, separate into crowns and replant. This leaves the plant with the maximum amount of resources for a good start the next year.
A skirret clump
Thirdly, skirret ought to be an easy crop to improve. The combination of annual seed production and clonal propagation by the division of clumps means that new varieties are easy to produce and then maintain. The plants that I have grown from seed show considerable variation in root number, thickness, length and quality. I’d like to see skirret selected to produce fewer, fatter roots with smoother skin (cleaning skirret is something of a faff as the wrinkled skin tends to hold the dirt and require a good scrubbing).
One drawback to skirret is that the roots can have a woody core which cannot be softened by any amount of cooking and which is not particularly practical to remove. Guides suggest that this is a problem of young plants that goes away on older ones, or that it is caused by a lack of water while growing or that it is under genetic control and varies from one plant to another.
I have kept careful records of the qualities of my plants from year to year for the best part of a decade and I don’t think that the thing about older plants is true. Similarly, if there is a magic recipe for growing them without a woody core I am yet to find it. On the other hand there does seem to be a degree of consistency about how prone to woodiness an individual clone is, although this is accompanied by some year-to-year variation. I assume that genetic and environmental factors are interacting in unpredictable ways.
A second yield from skirret is the immature flower stems, which have a very nice carroty taste when boiled or steamed. They are fairly substantial and produced in reasonable volume, but they are fast growing and soon harden off, so if you want more than a brief harvest you will have to freeze some.
Starting skirret from crowns may be easy, but to get a crown in the first place you either have to shell out a fair bit of money or you have to start from seed. Skirret is not the easiest to grow from seed as like many of its relatives it needs a period of winter cold (stratification) to encourage it to germinate. If it is anything like most Apiaceae the seed will lose viability quite quickly, so it is a good idea to source current-year seed in autumn and start stratifying straight away.
A single clump separated into crowns. The labels are to keep track of individual strains for plant breeding purposes.
For cultivation, skirret seems to like moist, free-draining soil in full sun. It’s said not to like hot weather but this isn’t a problem that I experience much. I’d advise growing it in rich, well-fertilised soil as a poorly fed skirret will produce thin roots that aren’t worth harvesting. Mature crowns need to be spaced at 30cm or more. Giving it a mulch is a good idea to help keep moisture in and suppress early weed growth. I have mine planted in a bed with compost dug in and a mulch of leaves over the top. It will grow up through the mulch and require little to no weeding as its strong growth suppresses weeds later in the season. Skirret can be left in the ground until needed: towards the end of the season, you might want to mark where the plants are as there can be little sign once the leaves die down!
Perfect timing.
I started some skirret last year and just sowed some more indoors.
The first group appears to be slowly coming back again now that the days are lengthening.
Thanks for the info and tips. This one sounds like it has huge potential.
Wheere is it possible to buy some seed, or better still, a few crowns? I live in SW France!
Unfortunately I can’t send seed to the EU any more, but you should have lots of options in France. Skirret grows well there and it’s easy to propagate, plus you can source it from anywhere in the EU. A quick google found https://wwwc.promessedefleurs.ie/vegetable-gardens/vegetable-garden-a-to-z/bio-skirret-sium-sisarum.html and there should be many more.
Je lai trouvé en-ligne chez promesse des fleurs.
great article – thx
Good article. I’ve grown it for a few years.Only things I’d add are cleaning is much easier if grown in soil that’s crumbly and plenty of organic matter, rather than clay. Also, nice raw in salads.
Thank you for a great read. Now to get me some skirret! Is the leafy vegetation edible at all, or just the tubers?
I don’t know about the leaves – only tried the roots so far.
Thanks, Alan
The leaves are in fact edible, though I’ve only had a little taste of the young round leaves and not the secondary ones. The flavor was unusual and hard to describe. I am unconvinced I would eat them in any quantity, so I’m hoping the later leaves will have a more versatile flavor.
I agree that skirret is a great plant. What I tend to do is to allow it to flower, probably at the expense of some of the roots, and then use the seed for propagation. As you say it is not that easy to grow from seed, but when you have several flower heads of it, the odds are better than with a seed packet. I scatter some near the plants and retain some for sowing next spring. Like you I also divide the clumps.
Where do I get skirt seen from near by gardeners?
That depends on where you are. The likeliest way is to find about seed exchange networks in your area/country. Also look out for seed swap events by local allotments, garden societies etc or ask directly in local forums such as local Facebook groups – for instance our local Botanical Garden has a Facebook group.
Hi, I’m growing Skirret and intend eating some of the green shoots. As soon as the others have flowered I will cut them off as here in Melbourne, Australia skirret seed tends to be a weed issue I’ve been told. Are you in a colder climate that they are heard to grow. ?
Aberdeen is certainly a colder climate than Melbourne! I wouldn’t describe them as hard to grow here, but there is no issue with them becoming invasive.
I grew skirret in 2015, and some vole or mouse ate all the roots plus the crown, just in a few days. 🙁
Oh, this sounds fantastic. Do you think it would help to place the seeds in the freezer for a few days when (or where) winters are not so good?
Probably, yes. I keep seeds of a lot of plants that need stratification in the fridge.
Not the freezer. Refrigerate, like we do for garlic bulbs for a false winter in parts of Australia.
Good point, Pauline. I missed that the comment said freezer rather than fridge.
Terrific information, thank you. We have seed, we’ll give it a crack. Cold stratification, I take it? What is the minimum amount of time to chill it? We’re mid-spring already.
I always cold stratify mine, but Plants for a Future suggest that it can be sown up until early spring. I’d suggest trying half in the ground and half after stratifying in the fridge for a month or two.
Hi, I’ve propagated mine from seed (in the fridge firstly) They’ve now been in the ground for 2 years and are about to flower again- I’ll be uprooting I think this year and replanting to give the roots some room- I had a small delicious crop last year!
I’ve eaten the leaves but, wasn’t sure if you could so was cagey!
Great to see others taking the dive into perennials.
I grew some from seed, but the roots are thin and useless, growing in my clay soil and the real problem is that it flowers and seeds all over the garden – be warned. So very soon, in its second year, before the seeds form, they are up and away and let’s see if there will be anything to eat on the roots finally. When I have tried before there was absolutely nothing to eat on them.oh dear, a major disappointment in fact. Perhaps one would have better luck in lighter soils. They have been well fed and cared for.
Clay soils become heavy loam if you use 2kg gypsum per square metre and cover with pea straw . Do this twice a year. My fist trial gave me 80-100mm soil depth. It increases each time. Also sow potatoes or a root crop to help break up the clay. Skirret as a later crop. I add sand if I’m sowing root crops in heavy loam..
Hello, anybody out there wants to try? I divided mine, the crowns are tiny, but free. (Sep 2024) WhatsApp 0049 1520 383 9015.
The plant grows tall, about 150 cm / 5 feet and resembles cow parsley or wild carrots, relatives of skirret. I quite like the look. The hoverflies loved it, too.
I tried growing it in heavy soil and it so didn’t work. My other skirret was in a container and did fine, but my container space is limited, hence me giving them away.
I recommend watering & mulching in dry spells, else powdery mildew will be an eye sore. It won’t kill it, they are tough.
hello….how are you?….do you still have some crowns?
I would lovesome skirret, My email address is: dstudy2023@gmail.com I live in Canada. I am really excited to try growing this. I hope you still have some. Debbie
Hi Debbie. It wouldn’t be possible to send crowns from Europe to Canada, but you can get skirret seeds in Canada from Cicada Seeds, https://cicadaseeds.ca/products/skirret-seeds-sium-sisarum-sugar-77094.
Hi Debbie,
I’m in central Alberta and have a clump that is several years old and it’s done very well! I started it from seed and kind of neglected it so the roots I dug up this year are very small and the clumps are densely packed together, so I’m going to dig up the whole thing and split them up, space them apart and hopefully I’ll have something worth eating next fall. I have them in full sun in a patch I never water (I believe in sink or swim in my perennial beds lol) and the soil in the area has a LOT of clay, so I’ll also be moving them to some richer areas with better organic matter (thanks for the tips, Gardener!) The small native bees LOVE the flowers, so that’s a bonus, too.
What area in Canada are you in, Debbie?
Good morning I have just read your interesting article! I am based in Sydney Australia and I have some seeds that I purchased online from somewhere in Europe. How long should I pop them in the fridge for and at what time of the year should I be sowing my seeds? Our climate is much warmer than Bonnie Scotland would it be best if I put them in shade with a little bit of sun or full sun?
Hi Brooke. I know nothing about the climate in Sydney, so I’d suggest seeking out more local knowledge. I know that skirret is grown in Australia – check out Provenance Growers in Tasmania for instance. Generally I would only stratify in the fridge if you’ve missed the chance to do so naturally – usually if you get seeds in spring t – so your best bet is just to store them until your cold season comes round and sow at the start of that. As for where to grow them, I’d just try a few in different locations and see where they do best. They grow in France and Germany so they will definitely take more summer warmth than they get in Scotland.
Does anyone know where I could get some seeds or crowns in Qld?
Is that Queensland, Australia? If so, the only Australian source I know of is Paulette Whitney of Provenance Growers in Tasmania – although I’m sure there must be more.
I got some skirret crowns in Tasmania today in a crop swap. Surely there would be seeds. I can ask the lady if she has some?
You can source skirret starters (rhizome ?) and likely seed plus a whole slew of other wonderful perennial veggies from Cicada Seeds in Canada. Visit the website cicadaseeds.ca
Buy the Kalaidescope Kale…it is the best ever!
Cicada won’t send to my location. Not sure if they send outside of Canada at all.
This article is wonderful! I’ve just heard of this root vegetable & am interested in making it my next obsession. How does it do in zone 5b?
Cyndy, I’m in Zone 5b and my Skirret is flourishing — very healthy (but after only one late spring / full summer in the ground here).
Purchased it already started, from an online nursery in Washington State. Looking forward to propagating for the first time once dormancy sets in.
Good luck to you, and I hope you get to enjoy this plant.
I’m in Zone 4a and it’s doing very well.
Hi Cyndy. It’s hard to say. Assuming you mean zone 5b in the US, you will have both colder winters and hotter summers than here. Either of those could be a problem for a plant that grows well here, but since it also grows in France and Germany, which have more comparable climates, I think it has a good chance.
Hi, I live in Queensland and have been unable to find any skirret at all for sale anywhere in Australia. Do any of you lovely people have any seeds or cuttings or clones or bare-root plants that you would be willing to sell and send to me? Just let me know how much and how to send and it will be done. Cheers, Steve. facts@live.com.au
Hello Steve, I live in Melbourne and have skirret bought from a Tasmanian nursery nearly a year ago. The 1 I dug up had a generous supply of shoots. I have family on GCoast hinterland, Sunny Coast and Brisbane who will be visiting in September and may be able to take some there. Where are you?
The skirret I’ve seen at Stately Homes has had fabulous dark red leaves, but every illustration I’ve seen online only shows green leaves. Is this a different variety, or do the leaves go red through the year or as the plant matures?
It is possible that you saw a red-leaved variety. I have never come across one, but I do know that there are pink-rooted varieties in contrast to the normal white, so perhaps this extends to the leaves. Generally though, red leaves in skirret are a sign of stress, such as cold, drought or nutrient deficiency. It was very dry in my area this year and I didn’t do any watering, so some of my skirret were quite red. Fortunately this hasn’t affected yield as much as I worried that it might. In good years leaves don’t go red with age: they go a bit yellow and then die back.
Hi Alen, where are you i live near Monterrey California more inland. My climate is similar to Queensland Aus. We are high desert type climate dry all summer with some rain in winter and spring. I really want to try but not sure my climate suits. Also i try to eat all parts of my garden veg so i am interested if i can eat the leaves or should i just give to my hens.
Hi Anne. I live in Scotland, which is a very different climate! Skirret does grow in warmer climates, including France in Europe and Victoria and Lutruwita/Tasmania is Australia, but it doesn’t like it too hot and it needs plenty of moisture. It might work as a cool season crop for you. The only top part worth eating is the young flower shoots. These are delicious but available only for quite a short period before they harden off. By the time you harvest skirret the leaves have died down and the nutrients have been stored in the roots.
Am I just crazy to try this in the heat and humidity of the Southeast United States? I’m thinking of putting it in a wood line where it gets Sun for about half the day but is shaded from the hottest afternoon sun
I am also in the hot, humid south – Middle Georgia. I just received my seeds and read they need to be cold stratified. I may take half and store in the refrigerator for 2 months and Winter snow the other half out in a milk jug. Hopefully, that will give me a better chance of success in germination. Good Luck!
I’ve no idea if it will work, but no harm in trying!
I have seeds for sale in the US. Look for me on eBay— Stanton Corner Food Forest. This is my second spring with skirret, planted from crowns two full years ago I was researching when to divide the crowns as I have forgotten since last year…our snow pack just melted enough to see the plants in the garden here in Boston area so I’m ready to check on them!
Are you sold out? I couldn’t find you, and live in CT so the Zone will work, thanks