Corn Salad/ Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible

Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Corn Salad (Valeriana locusta), also known as Lamb’s Lettuce, is a mild and tender wild green that has been enjoyed for centuries. Found in grassy areas, meadows, and fields across the UK, this nutritious plant is packed with vitamins and makes an excellent addition to salads, sandwiches, and other dishes. Its small, spoon-shaped leaves form low-growing rosettes and are at their best during autumn and early spring.

Often overlooked in favour of more common greens, Corn Salad is a true hidden gem for foragers and gardeners alike.

In this post, we’ll guide you through identifying, harvesting, and using this versatile plant, as well as sharing tips for making it a delicious part of your meals.

Common Names

Cornsalad, Corn Salad, Lambs Lettuce, mâche

Botanical Name

Valeriana locusta

Scientific Classification

Kingdom – Plantae

Order – Dipsacales

Family – Caprifoliaceae

Physical Characteristics for Corn Salad

Leaves

Cornsalad grows in a low rosette, up to about 40 cm tall. It has bright green, spoon-shaped leaves, up to 15.2 cm long. Their bases are connected to one another at each fork on the stems.

Flowers

The flowers are tiny and are best looked at using a hand lens. They are only 1-2mm across, funnel-shaped with five pale lilac lobes, 3 stamens and one style with 3 stigmas. The flowers are borne in large crowded terminal clusters on stems which branch repeatedly.

Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Stems

The squarish stems are finely ridged.

Habitat

It’s quite a wide spread species seen growing in cracks of pavements, at the base of old walls, in gardens, sand dunes, sandy grassland, generally on soil that is poor in nutrients.

Known Hazards

None known.

Could be Confused with…

There are several species of Cornsalad to be found in the UK, Valeriana locusta is the most common, but all the other species are also edible.

Could possibly be confused with Forget-me-not (Myosotis arvensis) but this has larger flowers and the stems don’t branch into pairs. Forget-me-not are also edible.

Edible Uses

The leaves, flowers and flower stems can be eaten raw or cooked, they have a great nutty flavour and are perfect for bulking out dishes.

Cornsalad has many nutrients, including three times as much vitamin C as lettuce, beta-carotene, B6, iron, and potassium. It is best if gathered before flowers appear.

Extra notes from the Foragers

Cornsalad was originally foraged by European peasants and has been eaten in Britain for centuries. It was grown commercially in London from the late 18th or early 19th century and appeared on markets as a winter vegetable.