Gardeners in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 4 through 8 know horseradish is an easy-to-grow perennial vegetable, if not a weed. Over three or four years, one horseradish plant can become several clumping plant… The leaves look right but the flowers are deep yellow, almost daisylike and on very long stems. Some people may get a rash if any leaf or root juices get on their skin. The species is probably native to southeastern Europe and western Asia. [17], The distinctive pungent taste of horseradish is from the compound allyl isothiocyanate. 2.186) or Sinapi persicum (Diosc. Underground, the long, sometimes branching taproot grows downward 18 to 30 inches. Because horseradish is a cousin to cabbage, radish and mustard, it produces similar four-petaled, crosslike flowers. When in flower, the plant measures 12 to 18 inches taller. The leaves look right but the flowers are deep yellow, almost daisylike and on … [citation needed] Prepared horseradish is white to creamy-beige in color. From late spring to early summer, flower stems rise above the leaves to display a branched, loose cluster of white flowers, each blossom measuring 1/4 to 3/8 inch in diameter. Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana, syn. It is a root vegetable, cultivated and used worldwide as a spice and as a condiment. Horseradish is probably indigenous to temperate Eastern Europe, where its Slavic name khren seemed to Augustin Pyramus de Candolle more primitive than any Western synonym. [9] Dioscorides listed horseradish equally as Persicon sinapi (Diosc. The bitter, hot flavour occurs when the horseradish juice mixes with oxygen and your saliva. Adding a little grated horseradish to scrambled aggs is healthy and Chrain is a part of Christian Easter and Jewish Passover tradition (as maror) in Eastern and Central Europe. Healthy, vigorous, older clumps may reach up to 48 inches tall. [12] Its modern Linnaean genus Armoracia was first applied to it by Heinrich Bernhard Ruppius, in his Flora Jenensis, 1745, but Linnaeus himself called it Cochlearia armoracia. [2] Established plants may form extensive patches[2] and may become invasive unless carefully managed.[7]. Horseradish grows up to 1.5 meters (5 feet) tall, with hairless bright green unlobed leaves up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) long that may be mistaken for docks (Rumex). New sprouts occur in spring, often having to puncture upward through the dead, tan leaf layer. Because horseradish is a cousin to cabbage, radish and mustard, it produces similar four-petaled, crosslike flowers. [13] The early season leaves can be distinctively different, asymmetric spiky, before the mature typical flat broad leaves start to be developed. It can often be found on roadsides and edges of fields, in the northern part of the country. ; 2004. Horseradish is perennial in hardiness zones 2–9 and can be grown as an annual in other zones, although not as successfully as in zones with both a long growing season and winter temperatures cold enough to ensure plant dormancy. 2.168),[10] which Pliny's Natural History reported as Persicon napy;[11] Cato discusses the plant in his treatises on agriculture, and a mural in Pompeii shows the plant. Processing, cooking, and creative uses As far as cooking, the only real thing to know is that, just like the roots, horseradish leaves have a strong flavor, and if you aren’t ready for it, they definitely come off as intense. Older roots left in the ground become woody, after which they are no longer culinarily useful, although older plants can be dug and re-divided to start new plants. Over three or four years, one horseradish plant can become several clumping plants in a substantial mass. In Central and Eastern Europe, horseradish is called khren, hren and ren (in various spellings like kren) in many Slavic languages, in Austria, in parts of Germany (where the other German name Meerrettich is not used), in North-East Italy, and in Yiddish (כריין transliterated as khreyn). This will allow the roots to radiate out beneath the soil while keeping the leaves of the crown vertical above ground. Horseradish can be harvested after the foliage dies back in autumn and the flavour of the roots is much better if plants have been subjected to frost. A similar mustard, called Krensenf or Meerrettichsenf, is common in Austria and parts of Germany. [15], The word horseradish is attested in English from the 1590s. They move sluggishly when prodded. Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) is a clump-forming perennial plant in the Brassicaceae family.It is grown from root divisions and can be extremely aggressive. [29] In a typical serving of one tablespoon (15 grams), horseradish supplies no significant nutrient content. In the US, the term "horseradish sauce" refers to grated horseradish combined with mayonnaise or salad dressing. [citation needed], Cooks may use the terms "horseradish" or "prepared horseradish" to refer to the mashed root of the horseradish plant mixed with vinegar. [19] Because of this instability, horseradish sauces lack the pungency of the freshly crushed roots. They overwinter in green pupal cases. Horseradish grows into an upright to rounded clump of leaves maturing to be 24 to 30 inches tall, with a spread of 30 to 36 inches. Seed rarely forms, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden. [citation needed] The leaves of the plant ("horseradish greens") are not commonly eaten, but have a flavor similar to the roots. [citation needed]. Place the horseradish crown or root into the hole at roughly a 45 degree angle, with the thinner, bottom portion of the root slanted down. The main root is harvested and one or more large offshoots of the main root are replanted to produce next year's crop. Also called red cole, common horseradish should not be confused a green-rooted cousin native to Asia and used to make wasabi. [28] The Japanese botanical name for horseradish is seiyōwasabi (セイヨウワサビ, 西洋山葵), or "Western wasabi". The most sure way that you can identify your plant (without digging it) is to let it flower - then there can be no mistake. Can You Start a New Plant From a Broken Bleeding Heart Plant? [citation needed]. If you break off a leaf from the horseradish plant, you may get only a faint smell of pungency, not unlike the smell from cabbage juice or freshly grated coleslaw. In The Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes (1597), John Gerard describes it under the name of raphanus rusticanus, stating that it occurs wild in several parts of England. 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