Everwilde Farms - 1000 Organic Catalogna Garnet Stem Endive Seeds - Gold Vault Jumbo Bulk Seed Packet

The dark green leaves and bright red stems of this endive will add great color to your salads! Endive makes an excellent fall crop as light frost sweetens it, but extreme heat causes bitterness or bolting. This variety matures in about 55 days. Endive, a member of the chicory family, most likely originated in Egypt or the Mediterranean region. Pliny the Elder praised its medicinal properties, stating that it purified the blood and cured insomnia. By 1200 AD, many varieties of endive were known throughout Europe; the first American reference to this vegetable comes from an 1806 cookbook. Endive still thrives in the gardens and kitchens of Mediterranean countries, where it often makes a tasty addition to salads.