Sanguisorba minor
Family Rosaceae
Cucumber flavor without a cucumber vine — salad burnet delivers it from a low rosette of pretty, toothed leaves you can pick nearly year-round, even in a January thaw. It stays green under snow, which makes it the rare fresh garden taste available when the seed catalogs are still arriving.
Quietly always there is its whole personality: a tough, drought-proof perennial for zones 4 to 9, tidy at 1 to 2 feet, content in sun or part shade for years. The young leaves lift salads, dressings and summer drinks. Tuck one at the bed's edge and you'll wonder how it stayed obscure.
Full Sun to Part Shade
Drought-tolerant · low water
Moderate growth
From the print shop
Our Plant Library collection carries salad burnet — Sanguisorba minor, print Nº 413, “Salad Burnet.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
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Hardy inZones 4-9Salad Burnet · Common problems
1 problem on file
Almost none
1 problem on file
FewSalad Burnet · Growing & propagation
LightWaterDrought-tolerant, evergreen-ish
Soil
Fertilizer
PruningSnip flower stalks (leaves toughen after bloom); shear for fresh growth. Self-sows gently.
SpacingPropagateSalad Burnet · Seasonal care & spray guidance
early spring
3 jobsSowingIn springSow salad burnet seed directly in spring into average garden soil in full sun, or split a piece off an established clump instead. Fall sowing works equally well if you would rather set it out at the end of the season. Salad burnet comes readily from either seed or division, and a spring sowing gives the plant a full season to build the deep root that later carries it through dry spells.
DividingIn springEvery third or fourth spring, lift the clump and split it into pieces, keeping the roots as intact as you can, then replant the divisions. Skip this in the years between. An old clump loses vigor as its crown crowds itself. Dividing on a three to four year cycle restores it and gives you free plants.
HarvestingIn springTake the young, soft foliage from the center of the clump and leave the old outer leaves alone. Use it fresh, since the cucumber flavor does not survive drying. Growth starts early in spring and the plant stays green and usable into winter, so keep harvesting whenever new leaves are coming. Only the tender new foliage is worth eating. Older leaves turn tough and bitter, and regular picking keeps the plant producing the young growth you want.
at bloom
1 jobPruningAt bloomAs soon as the red pom-pom flower heads appear on their stalks, snip them off at the base of the stalk. Keep after it through the flowering period rather than doing it once. Cutting the flowers off pushes the plant back into leaf instead of seed, which is the part you eat, and it stops the seed from ever ripening. Left to flower, salad burnet reseeds freely and turns weedy in a garden bed.
Salad Burnet · Calculators & field guides
Salad Burnet · Yearly calendar
HarvestJanuary to December
BloomHarvestBloomMarch to May
HarvestJanuary to December
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Salad Burnet · Ecology & uses
Sanguisorba minor
Moisture
DeerProtect young plants
Origin✓ Commonly eaten
UseUseUseEdible valueCucumber-flavored leaves nearly year-round — one of the first fresh tastes of spring, stays green under snow.
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Salad Burnet · Varieties & cultivars
Straight species (a traditional 'fines herbes' component)
Sources & plant identity
Sanguisorba minor
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
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Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
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Salad Burnet questions, answered straight.
Salad Burnet is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
Cucumber-flavored leaves nearly year-round — one of the first fresh tastes of spring, stays green under snow.
Division or seed.
Where salad burnet sits in the library.
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