French scorzonera

Reichardia picroides

Layer 4 · Herbaceous
Edible companion

Status by region

No restrictions recorded in the lists we checked.

Checked against the European Union list (Regulation 1143/2014) · Portugal's national invasive species list (Decreto-Lei 92/2019).

Information based on the cited sources, not legal advice — always confirm your local rules.

About

Rosette-forming perennial plant with tender, mildly flavoured leaves, traditional in the Mediterranean diet. The young leaves are edible raw in salads and the plant resprouts several times a year. In the food forest it occupies the herbaceous layer as a drought-tolerant wild green, and its yellow flowers attract pollinators.

It can be planted now — September is one of the best months.

See which trees French scorzonera grows well with

These trees share this species' soil and climate — the pairing is inferred from conditions, not from a guild we have already seen.

Cork oak

No account needed.

Needs

Water: Low
Light: Full sun
Size: Herbaceous perennial up to 0.4 m
Mature diameter: 0.3 m
Soils: Sandy, Loam, Limestone
Climates: Hot, dry Mediterranean, Atlantic coast

Calendar

January
February — Harvest
March — Harvest — Planting
April — Harvest — Planting
May
June
July
August
September — Planting
October — Harvest — Planting
November — Harvest
December

Harvest
Planting

Medicinal use: The young leaves have a sweetish flavour and are widely consumed raw in traditional salads, whilst also possessing slightly diuretic and depurative properties.

Where to buy

Central trees worth considering

May work well together — same soil and climate, complementary layers. We have not seen this combination in a generated guild yet.

Cork oak

May grow well with

Suggestions worked out from growing conditions — same soil and climate, complementary layers and functions. These are not observed guilds; treat them as a starting point to try on your own land.