Burnet Salad

Salad burnet is a hardy perennial herb known for its refreshing, cucumber-like flavor and finely divided, decorative foliage. Native to Europe and Western Asia, it has been grown since Roman times for both its culinary uses and medicinal qualities. Salad burnet is drought-tolerant, low-maintenance, and a beautiful, useful addition to herb gardens, borders, or edible landscapes.
 
🍽️ Culinary Uses
Salad burnet’s young, tender leaves have a cool, slightly nutty, cucumber-like taste, making it ideal for use in fresh dishes:
Raw Leaves:
Add to:
Green salads
Cream cheese and yogurt dips
Sandwiches and wraps
Cold drinks or herb butters
Potato or egg salads
Adds a freshness to savory dishes
Cooked (sparingly):
Leaves can be added at the end of cooking to soups or sauces, but prolonged heat diminishes their delicate flavor.
🥒 Use only the young leaves—older ones can become bitter and tough. Ideal for replacing or complementing cucumber in recipes.
 
🌿 Medicinal Uses
Traditionally, salad burnet was used as a wound-healing and cooling herb, particularly in medieval and early modern Europe:
Astringent & Anti-inflammatory:
Used to treat minor cuts, nosebleeds, and skin irritations
Digestive Tonic:
Historically infused as a tea for easing indigestion and diarrhoea
Rich in Nutrients:
Contains vitamin C, antioxidants, and tannins that may contribute to general health
⚠️ Use for medicinal purposes should be done with care, as modern clinical research is limited.
 
🌱 Growing Requirements
Salad burnet is an easy-care herb that thrives in a variety of conditions and is well-suited to UK gardens:
Location:
Prefers full sun to light shade in well-drained soil. Particularly suited to dry, chalky, or limestone-rich soils.
Care:
Drought-tolerant once established
Harvest regularly to prevent flowering and encourage fresh growth
Cut back hard in midsummer if plants get leggy or start to flower
 
🐝 Garden Benefits
Salad burnet offers both ecological and ornamental value:
Pollinator-friendly:
Unique, globe-shaped flower heads attract bees and beneficial insects
Attractive foliage:
Adds texture and movement to borders or container displays
Low-maintenance:
Ideal for naturalistic plantings, herb spirals, and mixed beds
 
Beneficial insects, polinators etc.
Salad burnet (Sanguisorba minor) is known to attract various pollinators and beneficial insects to the garden. While it may not be as widely recognized for its attractiveness to pollinators as some other flowering herbs, it still plays a role in supporting biodiversity in the garden. Here are some pollinators and animals that salad burnet may attract:
 
Bees: Bees, including honeybees, bumblebees, and native solitary bees, are attracted to the small, clustered flowers of salad burnet. They visit the flowers to collect pollen and nectar, which they use to feed themselves and their colonies.
Butterflies: Some species of butterflies may also be attracted to the flowers of salad burnet, particularly if they are searching for nectar sources. Butterflies add beauty to the garden and contribute to pollination as they visit flowers.
Hoverflies: Hoverflies are beneficial insects that mimic the appearance of bees and wasps. They are attracted to the nectar of salad burnet flowers and may visit them for feeding purposes.
Other Beneficial Insects: Various other beneficial insects, such as lacewings, parasitic wasps, and predatory beetles, may also be attracted to salad burnet. These insects help control garden pests by preying on aphids, caterpillars, and other harmful insects.
Birds: While not primarily attracted to the flowers of salad burnet, birds may visit the garden to feed on insects that are drawn to the plant. In this indirect way, salad burnet can contribute to the overall biodiversity of the garden ecosystem.
 
Overall, while salad burnet may not be as showy as some other flowering herbs, it still provides valuable resources for pollinators and beneficial insects in the garden. By including salad burnet in your garden landscape, you can help support a healthy and diverse ecosystem.
 
Genus: Sanguisorba minor
Aspect: Full Sun / Part shade
Type: Evergreen Perennial
Hardiness: Hardy
Height: 0.5 - 1 metre
Spread: 0.5 - 1 metre