(50 days) Open-pollinated. Grown for its tangy seed pods, not its roots. William Woys Weaver called it “the Don Juan of radishes” because it so readily crosses with all others. Introduced from Japan in 1866-67 by seedsman J.H. Gregory. Attracts butterflies and other pollinators, worth growing even if you don’t want to consume its pungent pods. Because these often grow as long as rats’ tails and almost as fibrous, garden writer Barbara Damrosch advises harvesting them at “skinny bean size like a French filet bean” for maximum tenderness. The immature purplish-green pods are a delicacy in India and Asia, adding a mustardy zing to salads, stir-fries and other dishes. When exposed to vinegar the purple pods turn a brilliant green that will bleed into a pickling brine and enhance the color of cucumber pickles. Radish plants will grow to 5' and branch out as they set seed, so give them plenty of room. Stake or trellis them for ease of picking; tomato cages work well. Your objective is not a small root, but a generous supply of pods. Especially attractive to pollinators. ①
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