Gairdner’s Yampah
November 21, 2022
By Adam Huggins
Gairdner’s Yampah
Perideridia gairdneri
- Hul’qumi’num Name: sháwəәq
- Description: Slender perennial herb from a tuberous edible root. Solitary stems give rise to finely dissected leaves and white, terminal umbel inflorescences.
- Habitat: Moist to dry meadows, woodlands, and coastal bluffs.
- Harvest: Roots are best to harvest in late spring, prior to flowering.
- Edibility: Roots are small, starchy, and can be eaten raw or cooked.
- Fun Fact: Yampah was and is a common root crop harvested by Indigenous people throughout the west. In BC, it grows only in dry, southern areas.
