Ground elder
Aegopodium podagraria
- Description: Perennial plant. The bunch of ground-leaves develops in the first year, the flowers appear the next year. It grows up to 50 – 100 cm.
- Ecology: Euro-Siberian species, abundant in wet locations, riparian forests and shadowy or
ruderal locations. - Use: In the folk medicine it has been used for infusions made from rhizomes, efficiently used for curing rheumatism, urinary calculi and gout. Young stalks and leaves are suitable ingredients to soups and salads; it is possible to prepare them as spinach or to add to pesto. They are aromatic, reminding celery and parsley; contain a lot of vitamin C.
- Interesting facts: The plant is known as “goat's legs” by its Slovak name. This name relates to the shape of its leaves, reminding the goat’s legs. In our gardens it is not welcomed as it has thick, deep rhizomes, and
is difficult to remove.