Erba Stella
Erba Stella (Plantago coronopus)
A crisp, nutty‑green salad leaf with a clean, refreshing flavour and elegant rosette form — perfect for cool‑season growing and gourmet dishes 🌿
🌿 Erba Stella, also known as Buck’s‑horn Plantain or Minutina, is a distinctive Mediterranean salad green grown for its slender, antler‑shaped leaves and crisp, nutty‑green flavour. Forming beautiful star‑shaped rosettes, it thrives in cool weather, making it ideal for spring and autumn cropping in the UK. The taste is mild and refreshing — a blend of young spinach, purslane, and chicory, with a gentle mineral edge that reflects its coastal origins. Hardy and easy to grow, Erba Stella is a superb choice for gardeners seeking a gourmet, visually striking salad leaf that performs when other greens struggle.
Leaves
The leaves have a crisp, mild, nutty‑green flavour with a light mineral freshness.
• Delicious raw in salads
• Excellent as a garnish for fish, pasta, and risotto
• Lovely in mixed leaf bowls for texture and crunch
• Beautiful with citrus dressings and olive oil
• Adds a clean, refreshing note to sandwiches and wraps
• Young leaves are best for raw use; older leaves suit light sautéing
• When in flower has a stronger, more chicory‑like bitterness with less mild, nutty freshness.
Note: For best flavour harvest when not in flower (spring and autumn). trim flowers and use regularly to prolong its cutting season
Leaf flavour: mild, nutty‑green, crisp, lightly mineral,
Flowers
The small, understated flower spikes are edible but mainly ornamental.
• Can be used as a decorative garnish
• Attract pollinators in summer
Flower flavour: mild, green, neutral
