Salad Burnet is a Mediterranean herb with crisp, cucumber-flavored greens and striking red-crimson blooms that brighten any garden from early summer onward. This open-pollinated heirloom grows compactly to 10-24 inches and reaches harvest in 100-109 days, thriving in full sun across zones 4-8. Its delicate oval, tooth-edged leaves are as much at home in a salad bowl as they are in a container on a sunny porch, making it one of those rare herbs that delivers both culinary reward and quiet garden beauty.
Full Sun
—
4-8
24in H x ?in W
—
Moderate
Hover over chart points for details
The cucumber flavor is genuinely crisp and refreshing, a quality that jumps out the moment you taste a leaf. Its compact, herb-like growth habit makes it equally at home in a small container or tucked into garden borders where its charming red-crimson flowers attract pollinators all season. This is an herb that works harder than it looks, offering minimal care requirements while delivering consistent harvests and ornamental appeal.
The young leaves are harvested fresh for salads, where their crisp texture and cucumber flavor make them a natural pairing with lettuce, vinaigrettes, and other garden greens. They work beautifully in any dish where a light cucumber note would enhance the flavor. The herb can also be used in beverages and as a delicate garnish, adding both visual interest and subtle flavor to plates.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Direct sow seeds outdoors where you want the plant to grow, spacing them 18 inches apart in rows 18 inches apart. Seeds can be sown as soon as soil is workable in spring.
Begin harvesting leaves once the plant is established, typically around 100-109 days from sowing. Pinch or snip individual leaves from the top of the plant as needed throughout the growing season, always leaving enough foliage for the plant to continue growing. Young, tender leaves offer the best flavor and texture. Harvest regularly to encourage continued leaf production.
Pinch back growing tips occasionally to encourage bushier, more compact growth and delay flowering if you prefer to focus on leaf production. Remove spent flower heads to extend the leaf-harvesting season, or leave them in place to attract pollinators and allow self-seeding.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
“Salad Burnet carries the lineage of Mediterranean herb gardens, where it has been cultivated for centuries as both a practical salad green and a decorative plant. This heirloom variety has been preserved and passed through seed saving traditions, reaching modern gardeners as a non-GMO, open-pollinated cultivar. Its journey from European gardens to contemporary seed catalogs reflects the enduring value of plants that combine utility with beauty.”