Butcher's broom

Ruscus aculeatus

vegetable

Bitter young shoots that push up in spring, cooked like wild asparagus.

Origin

Southern Europe and the Mediterranean

Where to find it

In dry holm-oak woodland in Italy, Corsica and Spain; it is picked in the same woods as wild asparagus.

Season (United States)

March to April

Preparation

Only the shoots: its red berries are toxic.

Molecules

In small amounts, not counted Insoluble fibers

Did you know?

Its prickly “leaves” are flattened stems, and its flowers grow from their middle.