Yampah
Perideridia gairdneri
zones 2-5
50 seeds
Yampa (Perideridia gairdneri) is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by the common names Common Yampah and Gardner's Yampah. It is native to western North America from southwestern Canada to California to New Mexico, where it grows in many types of habitats. This perennial herb’s flower cluster is a compound umbel of many spherical clusters of small white flowers. The plants yield ribbed, rounded fruits each a few inches long. Yampa was an important food plant, even a staple food, for many Native American groups, including the Blackfoot, Paiute, and Cheyenne. The tuberous roots could be eaten like potatoes, roasted, steamed, eaten fresh or dried, made into mush or pinole, used as flour and flavoring, and were also used medicinally.
Since stored seed is more difficult to germinate, direct sowing seeds in autumn brings the most success. As long as you experience temperatures of 40 degrees F or below for a good part of the winter, Yampah should have no trouble germinating.
If the seeds can’t be sown in autumn, they will need 3 months of cold, moist stratification. To stratify Yampah seeds indoors, mix them with a little moist soil in a plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator. Try to time the stratification so that it ends when temperatures are between 60-70 degrees F. Following sufficient stratification either sow the seed directly or in pots. At temperatures of 60-70 F, most of the seeds should germinate in about three weeks. You can often see some early germinators in the plastic bags in the refrigerator. This is a good sign that the seeds are ready to sow.
Perideridia gairdneri
zones 2-5
50 seeds
Yampa (Perideridia gairdneri) is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by the common names Common Yampah and Gardner's Yampah. It is native to western North America from southwestern Canada to California to New Mexico, where it grows in many types of habitats. This perennial herb’s flower cluster is a compound umbel of many spherical clusters of small white flowers. The plants yield ribbed, rounded fruits each a few inches long. Yampa was an important food plant, even a staple food, for many Native American groups, including the Blackfoot, Paiute, and Cheyenne. The tuberous roots could be eaten like potatoes, roasted, steamed, eaten fresh or dried, made into mush or pinole, used as flour and flavoring, and were also used medicinally.
Since stored seed is more difficult to germinate, direct sowing seeds in autumn brings the most success. As long as you experience temperatures of 40 degrees F or below for a good part of the winter, Yampah should have no trouble germinating.
If the seeds can’t be sown in autumn, they will need 3 months of cold, moist stratification. To stratify Yampah seeds indoors, mix them with a little moist soil in a plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator. Try to time the stratification so that it ends when temperatures are between 60-70 degrees F. Following sufficient stratification either sow the seed directly or in pots. At temperatures of 60-70 F, most of the seeds should germinate in about three weeks. You can often see some early germinators in the plastic bags in the refrigerator. This is a good sign that the seeds are ready to sow.
Perideridia gairdneri
zones 2-5
50 seeds
Yampa (Perideridia gairdneri) is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by the common names Common Yampah and Gardner's Yampah. It is native to western North America from southwestern Canada to California to New Mexico, where it grows in many types of habitats. This perennial herb’s flower cluster is a compound umbel of many spherical clusters of small white flowers. The plants yield ribbed, rounded fruits each a few inches long. Yampa was an important food plant, even a staple food, for many Native American groups, including the Blackfoot, Paiute, and Cheyenne. The tuberous roots could be eaten like potatoes, roasted, steamed, eaten fresh or dried, made into mush or pinole, used as flour and flavoring, and were also used medicinally.
Since stored seed is more difficult to germinate, direct sowing seeds in autumn brings the most success. As long as you experience temperatures of 40 degrees F or below for a good part of the winter, Yampah should have no trouble germinating.
If the seeds can’t be sown in autumn, they will need 3 months of cold, moist stratification. To stratify Yampah seeds indoors, mix them with a little moist soil in a plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator. Try to time the stratification so that it ends when temperatures are between 60-70 degrees F. Following sufficient stratification either sow the seed directly or in pots. At temperatures of 60-70 F, most of the seeds should germinate in about three weeks. You can often see some early germinators in the plastic bags in the refrigerator. This is a good sign that the seeds are ready to sow.