Succeeds in ordinary garden soils, including heavy clays. Plants do not grow well in stony soils. Prefers an open situation and a cool moist root run. Salsify is occasionally cultivated in the garden for its edible root, there are some named varieties. Grows well with mustard.

Root - raw or cooked. The young root can be grated in salads, older roots are best cooked. The flavor is mild and sweet, and is said to resemble oysters. The roots are harvested as required from October until early spring, or can be harvested in late autumn and stored until required. Young shoots - raw or cooked. The new growth is used in spring. A sweet taste. Flowering shoots - raw or cooked. Used like asparagus. Flowers - raw. Added to salads. The sprouted seeds can be added to salads or sandwiches. The root latex is used as a chewing gum.

Seed - sow in situ as early in the year as possible, in March if weather conditions permit. Seed sowings often fail unless the soil is kept moist until the seedlings are growing well.

Found near the sea and estuaries in S.E. England.