Sanguisorba minor

Burnet is an attractive perennial plant from the rose (Rosaceae) family, grown for both its edible leaves and its medicinal properties. Medicinally, it was once used against the bubonic plague and to control hemorrhaging, but today it is mostly known for its astringent properties. The leaves are rounded, with toothed edges, and there are four to 12 pairs of leaflets per leaf. The spikes of small, dense greenish flowers are not unattractive, but they are usually kept trimmed away to direct the plant's energy to leaf production. As an herb, salad burnet offers a clean, cucumber-like flavor. It's an easy-growing plant that appears early in the season and holds up well in the heat.

Burnet is usually planted in the spring from seeds started indoors four to five weeks before the last frost. Once transplanted into the garden, the plants will reach maturity about two months after germination.