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James H. Schutte
Brassicaceae
Armoracia rusticana
Horseradish
This hardy, coarse, deep-rooted perennial is the source of horseradish, the familiar, fiery condiment. It grows as a clump of large, toothed, puckered, dark-green leaves on long stems arising from a fleshy root that divides vigorously into offshoots and sends out tunneling stems to start new plants with such vigor that one plant soon becomes many. Unless dug out regularly, the new plants can become invasive pests. Even a tiny fragment of root left in the ground will grow a new plant.
From late spring to summer, the root sends up tall, leafy, branching flowering stalks topped with clusters of small white flowers, very like other members of the brassica family such as broccoli, but only slightly ornamental. Harvest comes in autumn, after frost kills the leaves. The plant is dug up, the main root is saved and the offshoots are replanted or discarded. Grating the root releases its eye-watering pungency.
Give this plant moderately fertile, well-drained soil and full sun. Also give it room so its spreading habit can be checked by spading up new plantlets without harming its neighbors. Avoid encouraging this plant’s natural vigor and invasive with rich soil, mulch or fertilizing.
12 - 1
3 - 10
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Perennial
Full Sun
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Eastern Europe, Southern Europe
Acidic, Neutral
Well Drained
Clay, Loam
Fast
Average Water
Clump-Forming
Spring, Summer
Insignificant
White
Dark Green
No
Single
Coarse
Matte
Edible
Yes
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