I’m getting a bit of a late start on my winter garden, but hey, at least I’m getting something into the ground. The area where I have my garden located is absolutely covered with this plant refered to as Florida Betony (Stachy’s floridana).
Most people here in Florida find this little plant to be an invasive nuisance. I, however, feel extremely fortunate to have this plant covering a large majority of my pasture and skirting around the edges of my fences.
The stem of this betony is square distinguishing it within the Lamiaceae or mint family and it has opposite leaves with scalloped edges. Also know as hedgenettle or rattlesnake weed this Florida Betony hides a little secret below the surface at the base of it’s roots…a tuber. The wonderful thing about this tuber is that it is edible and quite yummy. While I was digging my garden I unearthed literally dozens of these tubers.
The tubers of the plant resemble a rattlesnakes tail and thus the name rattlesnake weed. They have a very fresh taste and are usually crisp and crunchy when you bite into them. To me they taste like a very mild radish.
Depending on the area that they grow in or if there has been little moisture the tubers may end up almost dehydrated which makes them inedible. You can get very creative when cooking these tubers. The tubers are quite delicious when sauteed with butter or oil, boiled, pickled, added to soup and stews or just eaten raw in salads. One website that I came across was selling the tubers for $20.00/pound which makes me feel even more fortunate that I have such an abundance of this wonderful plant.
The tuber as well as the aerial portion of the plant may have some medicinal and healing capabilities as do many of the other species of Stachy’s. If dried and powdered the roots of the Stachys affinis are said to be anodyne and the aerial parts were made into a tea for colds and pneumonia. With that said, some believe that the two plants S. floridana and S. affinis are actually the same plant.
So if you are as fortunate as me to have this wonderful plant growing in abundance in your area go out and dig some up and give it a try. They are really delicious and a wonderful addition to any meal.
If you are interested in getting a better look at the plant and seeing how they are harvested you can check out this video by Green Deane from Eattheweeds.com: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAudL109GOg
While superficially similar, the species Stachys floridana and Stachys affinis are actually quite distinct from each other, with S. affinis being Asiatic in origin, and S. floridana native to the southeastern USA. The notion that they are the same species seems to originate with an early botanist who was using old dried specimens for his speculations, and unfortunately this mistaken information is being repeated quite a bit lately on the internet, due to the interest in Stachys floridana as a wild edible.
By growing both species together, a close comparison easily verifies that they are different species, though the tubers of each are edible. S. affinis has 66-70 chromosomes and S. floridana has 34, while leaves, flowers, and other characterisitics also differ significantly. They do not seem to be cross compatible either. S. floridana has larger tubers with a slight radish taste to them, while those of S. affinis seem starchier, and more like a potato in flavor when cooked, but perhaps with a slight hint of turnip also in my opionion. I personally find Stachys affinis to have the better flavor, though it seems a bit on the mild side.
Steve
What variety of betony is it that came into Charleston, SC with Hurricane Hugo and has become wide spread in out area? It looks like the Florida Betony I remember seeing as a kid in Jacksonville, FL
I believe that to be the Stachys floridana, but I am not certain.
We are in North Florida, as well, and we have betony all throughout our yard. Our Mastiff, Lisa, happens to really enjoy munching on the newest sprouted leaves, She also enjoys nibbling lantana leaves and lemon balm, mint and strawberries from my garden. She is definitely a naturalist.
Always great to hear from my North Florida friends. Sounds like you have an amazing dog! Thanks for stopping by.
Can the leaves be used medicinally?
Hi Kathy,
There are some ethnobotanical references that the plant contains antioxidants and that it was used for jaundice. However, I really don’t know of anyone who uses it medicinally, including myself. If there is someone out there who has knowledge of any medicinal uses I would be interested in hearing more. Thanks for stopping by Kathy.