I received this plant at a MOFGA plant swap under the name Wild Celery / Korean Pig Plant, my plants are descended from plants brought fr...Read Moreom Korea by Elwyn Meader. The leaves and young stems have good flavor (like celery with a bit of a bite/aftertaste) and apparently are quite nutritious. The young leaves and stems where harvestable on march 26th in midcoast Maine, a season when nothing else edible is up yet.
A bit of research on google reveals that this plant is natively endemic to Ullung Island off of Korea in the Sea of Japan. The Koreans have experimented with it as a forage crop for animals (with a nutritional profile similar to alfalfa). I also found references to it being used as medicine.
Below I have copied a short write-up on this plant assembled by Jack Kertesz:
KOREAN PIG PLANT
or
WILD CELERY
Dystaenia takesimana
Seeds of this plant were given to me in 1986 by Professor Elwyn Meader
who collected it from Ulung Island, east of mainland Korea, following the Armistice
in 1953. Here are the details of this plant sent to the Professor by Suk Soon Lee.
1. Perennial with large crown roots that grow deep in soil.
2. Cool season crop.
3. Yield of 4-5 tons per acre when harvested 4 times per year.
4. Renew the sod every 4-5 years.
5. Flowers in June or July in Korea.
6. Soaking seeds in water for 2-3 days aids germination.
7. Grows well in any well drained soil.
8. Seeds can be planted Spring or Fall.
9. Plant is juicy, and better used as silage or soilage,
rather than for hay or grazing.
10. Nutritional Value in %:
I find the flavor of this perennial celery to be a bit strong and sharp, with a lingering acridity in its raw state. Not everyone appreciates this quality, which likely could be reduced by blanching the dark green leaves, or by steaming or drying them. It does not have the pronounced aroma of Lovage, which it rivals in earliness, though it puts on less bulk by seasons' end. The recommended use as silage, might make this a viable candidate for Kim Chi or similar fermented dishes. As a member of the Apiaceae family, the flowering parts (large umbels),
are frequented by a range of beneficial insects during a rather long flowering period in July/August I can usually begin harvesting seed by the 3rd week of September here in Central Maine and continue harvesting for several weeks. The plant easily winters over, despite our sporadic snow cover. I can expect to find seedlings in the vicinity of the mother plant, sometimes in sod, but I have yet to see any rampant spread warranting any concern. The tap rooted young seedlings can be dug and transplanted with care. Curiously, until about 3 years ago, this plant did not exist in Cornell University's extensive plant collection. Little information on the species exists online, where it is mentioned primarily as a forage crop and referred to as Seombadi. Some credit is given for its use in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is currently available from just a few sources.
Overall, I find this plant to be a bright spot in the garden, easy to admire and
with many attributes for a range of organisms to utilize.
I received this plant at a MOFGA plant swap under the name Wild Celery / Korean Pig Plant, my plants are descended from plants brought fr...Read More