Dystaenia takesimana Perennial Korean Celery
25 seeds per packet.
A rare perennial in cultivation, native to Korea, that produces deeply divided leaves and attractive umbels of white flowers on tall stems in from July to September. The leaves and stalks are highly nutritious and celery-flavoured and can be used in soups. We use the young fresh leaves chopped in salads and as a substitute for flat-leaved parsley in pasta dishes. It's also a fantastic plant for bees and other insects. Height 1.5 metres. Moist, humus rich soil in sun to part shade.
GROWING INSTRUCTIONS:
Sow upon receipt (best in autumn). Cover seed thinly, press in gently and keep top of compost from drying out. Keep pot outdoors or in cold frame over winter. Seeds germinate in spring.
Alternatively, if seeds can’t be sown in autumn use the following method: mix seeds with damp vermiculite and place inside a ziplock bag, keep bag somewhere warm for 3 weeks, then place in fridge (not freezer) for 8 weeks. Next spread mixture on top of a pot, thinly cover with compost or grit and keep warm at 15 to 20°C until germination, then move to somewhere cooler.
Carefully prick out seedlings when they have developed true leaves and are large enough to transplant to individual pots for growing on.