Farm shed at Low Common

Image: © Evelyn Simak Taken: 29 Aug 2017

The plant seen in the foreground is horseradish (Armoracia rusticana), a member of the Brassicaceae family and believed to be native to southeastern Europe and western Asia, where it has been cultivated since antiquity. According to Greek mythology, the Delphic Oracle told Apollo that the horseradish was worth its weight in gold. It can be found growing wild on roadside verges, in hedgerows and beside ditches. Its Slavic name chren seemed to Augustin Pyramus de Candolle, a 19th century Swiss botanist, more primitive than any Western synonym. Interestingly, in some areas of Bavaria and Austria the plant is still called Kren. The most common use of horseradish root is as a spicy sauce. The leaves are often confused with dock leaves.

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