Lepidium virginicum
Trial: Annual
Years Trialed: 1996
Good Qualities:
Beautiful green color when air-dried without dye, and an excellent fresh cut.; Easy to grow. Unusual looking.; Small and unique seed heads add to the value of this plants character and usefulness in both fresh and dried applications.
Problems:
Severe wind in early July (?) knocked most plants on their side. They survived but the stems were too bent to use.; Half of my customers thought it was too 'weedy' looking or just plain ugly.; Poor germination as a direct seeded plant.; A difficult seed to sow mechanically and therefore is labor intensive, once sown, however, it is a relatively maintenance free plant.
Trial Data
| Yield (stems/plant) | Stem Length (inches) | Market Appreciation Rating (1) | Repeat Again Rating (1) | Ease of Cultivation Rating (1) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | 6.0 | 16.0 | 3.7 | 2.7 | 3 |
(1) 1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.
Supplier
Kieft Seeds
P.O. Box 618
Conway, WA 98238
Comments:
: I was not too thrilled at growing Lepidium as I had only seen it as a dried dyed brilliant unnatural colors. I was very happy with the few plants I managed to harvest and dry the natural green is vibrant and life-like, and my bouquets with Lepidium always sold first!; We will see how the plants hold a dried material, and would perhaps like to try different glycerine and dye treatments in the future. Nothing spectacular about this plant.