Crown daisy vegetable is the common name for a plant of the genus Ornithogalum. The plants’ flowers grow from a group of stalked leaves resembling a crown and are typically white but can also be yellow, purple, or pink.
The Crown daisy vegetable is in the same family as the lily of the valley plant and tulips. It’s one of the most widely cultivated ornamental plants in horticulture today. It belongs to the Asparagaceae, the subfamily Lomandroideae and the Ornithogalum genus.
It grows from a short stem, bearing a rosette of strap-shaped leaves fused on one side into a cup that encircles the stem. It bears an umbel of white flowers with yellow, purple, or pink-tinged bells at its apex. The Crown daisy vegetable is native to southern Europe, Turkey, and Morocco.
Contents
What is a Chinese crown daisy?
The Chinese crown daisy is a rhizomatous herb that can reach just over a meter high. Although it is of the same genus as Ornithogalum, Chinese crown daisies are often incorrectly classified as ornamental plants of Ornithogalum.
Ornithogalum hirtum is native to Europe but has since been introduced to other regions, including the Americas and Australia (where it was introduced in 1843).
What is a crown daisy good for?
Due to their attractive, sweet smell and delicate appearance, crown daisy vegetables are often used as a garnish on salads or a decorative adornment on the top of espressos. They can also be useful ingredients in various bouquets.
Crown daisies are not edible, although they were once used as food by the British and Irish during the famine. Crown daisy vegetables have also been used for medicinal remedies, especially in Asia, where the Chinese crown daisy is commonly prescribed to treat back pain and heart disease.
Can you eat crown daisy Raw?
The leaves of crown daisy vegetables have large amounts of oxalic acid and should not be consumed raw. The leaves of crown daisies contain calcium oxalate crystals, which cause throat and mouth irritation, swelling, nausea, and other adverse symptoms if ingested.
Best 10 crown daisy vegetable benefits
- Crown daisy vegetables are great for making tea; You can make crown daisy tea by steeping the greens in hot water. Some people add lemon and honey to help with the taste. Other people sip it as a health tonic.
- Crown daisy vegetables can be eaten in salads; Crown daisies are decorative and sweet-smelling when sprinkled over greens and other salad ingredients. They also make excellent garnishes for desserts like ice cream if used sparingly.
- Crown daisy vegetables are high in Vitamin C, an essential nutrient that promotes immune system function and protects against diseases and disorders such as cancer, concussion, arthritis, and heart disease.
- Crown daisy vegetables make a good cough remedy; in Chinese medicine, the leaves of crown daisies are used as an expectorant to relieve chest tightness, coughs, and cold symptoms. The recommended dosage is two teaspoons of dried leaves three times a day before meals.
- Crown daisy vegetables possess antibacterial and antiviral properties; the leaves of crown daisies contain polyphenols, which are known to have antibacterial and antiviral properties. Polyphenols prevent bacterial contamination and extend the shelf life of foods. They also fight viruses like the common cold, flu, influenza, and common cold. This property is attributed to the fact that these plants work as antiseptics by inhibiting cell damage by free radicals or oxidative stress caused by viruses or other harmful organisms.
How to start crown daisy vegetable farming?
Crown daisy vegetables are easily grown from seed. To grow crown daisy vegetables from seed, sow them in containers with good drainage and keep them moist but not wet. Once they germinate, they can be grown in containers again, or they can be transplanted into the garden.
Most commercially available crown daisies are hybrids. They are often spread by dividing crown daisy vegetable clumps. To do this, dig up the plant, trim off dead leaves and pull apart the bulbs. Replant the bulbs immediately in rich, fertile soil and water them well.
Crown daisies grow very easily, so you can expect new plants to grow in around six to eight weeks. To start a crown daisy garden in the ground, prepare a site with rich, fertile soil that is amended with compost or manure and keep plant beds moist.
Conclusion
Crown daisy vegetables are not a vegetable but flowering plant that is more often used for decoration than for consumption. However, Chinese crown daisies have been reported to have health benefits attributed to the plant’s high vitamin C content. Crown daisy vegetables are widely used as a medicinal herb as well.
