The family to which it belongs is a very large one including both edible and poisonous plants - one of which nobody wants in their garden.
Nothing right so far. We have it growing in the garden well away from other plants. Despite being a flowering plant and producing lots of seeds it has shown no signs of reproducing itself. Though I have seen it growing wild in parts of Southern Europe.
Ok. A few more obvious clues. The leaves are used as a herb, the roots are occasionally used as a vegetable and the seeds can be used as a spice (though the latter is more in Southern Europe). The Latin name tells us the region it was associated with (in Italy). It once grew wild in many parts of Europe, but is now found mostly in Italy (and in gardens in northern Europe). Originally a coastal plant (hence it tolerates salt water). Perennial and big and related to a lot of other edible and poisonous plants including one which nobody wants in their garden. Like most members of its family it is best harvested on a cool day - ie. without too much sunshine. Despite its name it is not an aphrodisiac.
That is the one that nobody wants in their garden. Now we are looking for a relative of this plant which fits my descriptions and where all parts are edible.
Two more clues. One obscure one - the great English herbalist Nicholas Culpepper said it ''Clears the sight, takes away redness and freckles from the face''. A less obscure clue - why should anyone think it might be an aphrodisiac from the English (and German) name ?
I'm running out of ideas... Giant hogweed is the one no-one wants in their garden, but common hogweed seems to fit the bill - every part of it being edible. It's a member of the carrot family, but neither sound anything like an aphrodisiac...
The plant can reach 2-3 metres in height. It doesn't do that in my garden because the voles occasionally slow down its subterranean development. In my Mothers garden she had one which was nearly 3 metres. The flowering phase is from July to August. It is thought that the plant originated in Iran but later became a local wild plant in Southern Europe - the Romans knew it as a native plant although they didn't have much culinary use for it. Monks brought it over the Alps into the monastic gardens of northern Europe where it became more popular in northern European cooking. One of the many unofficial German names for it is Maggikraut.
