Prairie Turnip / Breadroot (Tipsin) (Pediomelum esculentum)

Family: Fabaceae | Edibility: Choice Edible (5/5)

Stout hairy prairie legume producing thick, tuberous, nutrient-dense taproots deeply buried in the Great Plains sod.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Roots/Tubers

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Late Summer

Flavor & Culinary Uses

Sweet, starchy, and slightly nutty like roasted turnips, chestnuts, and sweet potatoes. — Peeled and boiled in rich bison broth with wild alliums; Braided by long taproots and sun-dried in strings for winter storage; Pounded with stone mortars into high-energy flour for travelling cakes

Habitat & North American Range

Dry native prairies, bluffs, and open plains grasslands of central North America. (Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7)