Prairie Rosinweed (Silphium integrifolium)

Family: Asteraceae | Edibility: Edible (3/5)

Silphium integrifolium is a PERENNIAL growing to 1.8 m (6ft) by 0.9 m (3ft in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay and nutritionally poor soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Leaves

Harvest Seasons: Fall, Late Summer

Flavor & Culinary Uses

Carbon Farming Solutions - Staple Crop: protein-oil (The term staple crop typically refers to a food that is eaten routinely and accounts for a dominant part of people's diets in a particular region of the world) . — Carbon Farming Solutions - Staple Crop: protein-oil (The term staple crop typically refers to a food that is eaten routinely and accounts for a dominant part of people's diets in a particular region of the world).; Under development at the Land Institute to domesticate this species for use as an oilseed crop.; Trials yielded 1.1t/ha of seed .

Habitat & North American Range

Mesic to dry black soil prairies, gravel prairies, clay prairies, hill prairies, openings in rocky upland forests, limestone glades, and areas along railroads, particularly where prairie remnants occur. This plant can survive significant degradation, and recovers readily from occasional wildfires. (Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8)