Spiked Rampion

Did you know

• The flowers of spiked rampion open in a fascinating sequential pattern from bottom to top — individual florets are initially fused into a curved, claw-like tube that splits and curls back as the stigma is exposed, giving the spike a dynamic, kinetic appearance.
• The taproot of spiked rampion was eaten as a vegetable in mountainous parts of Switzerland, Austria, and France — boiled or eaten raw in salads, it has a pleasant, slightly nutty taste.
• The genus name Phyteuma is an ancient Greek word used by Dioscorides for an unrelated plant with aphrodisiac properties — it was applied to this genus by early modern botanists who confused it with the ancient plant.
• Spiked rampion is pollinated primarily by bumblebees, which push their heads into the elongated floret tubes; the unusual tube shape evolved to ensure only insects with sufficiently long tongues carry out effective pollination.
• In the Brothers Grimm fairy tale 'Rapunzel,' the pregnant mother craves rampion (Phyteuma) from the witch's garden — this gives the story its title and the protagonist her name, since 'Rapunzel' is an old German name for rampion.

Color meanings

Uses

• ornamental
• woodland garden
• historical vegetable