Mushroom plant

Mushroom plant is a tropical herb with tender, edible foliage, prized for its raw mushroom-like flavor, perfect in salads, sandwiches, and fresh dishes.

Size

Hardiness Non-hardy – grown as an annual in Quebec (zones 10+ only as a perennial)

Difficulty level Easy

Mushroom plant is a tropical herb with tender, edible foliage, prized for its raw mushroom-like flavor, perfect in salads, sandwiches, and fresh dishes.

FamilyAcanthaceae

The mushroom plant is a unique tropical aromatic plant, prized for its glossy green foliage with a surprising taste reminiscent of fresh mushrooms. Its tender leaves can be used in cooking to add a vegetable, sweet, and umami flavor to salads, sandwiches, soups, stir-fries, omelets, sauces, rice dishes, and Asian recipes. Its compact habit and decorative foliage make it an excellent plant for herb pots, edible containers, planters, and containers near the kitchen.

Easy to grow during the warm season, the mushroom plant prefers a bright location, in soft sun or partial shade, in rich, fresh, well-drained soil. It appreciates regular moisture to produce tender and flavorful foliage, especially when grown in pots. Since it is not hardy in our climate, it is generally grown as an annual or brought indoors before cold weather, in a very bright location. Frequent harvesting of young shoots helps maintain a dense, productive, and well-branched plant.

Both edible, decorative, and very different from classic herbs, the mushroom plant is ideal for gardeners looking for a rare and gourmet variety. Its foliage is mainly eaten fresh or added at the end of cooking to preserve its delicate texture and flavor. It is a perfect plant to enrich an urban vegetable garden, a collection of tropical herbs, or an edible garden with an original and flavorful touch.